Cognitations EP #1 | The Evolutionary Function Of Reasoning and Epistemic Vigilance | Hugo Mercier
18 snips
Jul 3, 2023 Hugo Mercier, a cognitive scientist at the Institut Jean Nicod, dives deep into the evolutionary roots of reasoning and its role in enhancing social interactions. He challenges traditional views by emphasizing reasoning's social function and its impact on collective intelligence. The discussion touches on biases in reasoning, the challenges in developing artificial general intelligence, and the importance of epistemic vigilance in today's misinformation landscape. Mercier also explores how expertise influences reasoning and the need for diverse viewpoints to enrich our understanding.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Finding Your Research Niche
- Find a research area that aligns with your broader interests.
- Working with someone whose work you admire can provide valuable guidance and opportunities.
Sperber's Comprehensive Framework
- Hugo Mercier was drawn to Dan Sperber's comprehensive framework for understanding the human mind.
- Sperber's work offers a coherent view of mind, language, culture, and cognition.
Reasoning's Social Function
- Reasoning's function is social, for arguing and justifying views, rather than individual mistake correction.
- This argumentative theory challenges the view of reasoning as a tool for improving individual judgments.
