Limits of Common Sense and Evolutionary Bias

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Common sense and evolutionary pressures have shaped our understanding based on our limited range of experiences, which are mostly focused on low energy, middle-sized, slow-moving phenomena on earth. As a result, our common sense may not be well-tuned for phenomena at very different scales, energies, or sizes. Our limited experiences lead us to only perceive a tiny fraction of the world, and expanding our experiences often reveals surprising differences. This limitation also applies to our understanding of consciousness, although it may be less obvious.

Scientists and philosophers sometimes advocate pretty outrageous-sounding ideas about the fundamental nature of reality. (Arguably I have been guilty of this.) It shouldn't be surprising that reality, in regimes far away from our everyday experience, fails to conform to common sense. But it's also okay to maintain a bit of skepticism in the face of bizarre claims. Philosopher Eric Schwitzgebel wants us to face up to the weirdness of the world. He claims that there are no non-weird ways to explain some of the most important features of reality, from quantum mechanics to consciousness.

Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2024/01/15/262-eric-schwitzgebel-on-the-weirdness-of-the-world/

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Eric Schwitzgebel received his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley. He is currently a professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside. He is the author of several books, including the new The Weirdness of the World.

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