The Argumentation Hypothesis and the Evolution of Reason

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There is an interesting book called the argumentation hypothesis which suggests that humans evolved reason to argue with others. While reason is useful for decision-making, it is actually an accidental byproduct. Our brain functions more like that of a lawyer than a scientist. Evaluating and making arguments is a necessary function for a social species. However, this function is not as deeply rooted in the brain as the appreciation of music. Interestingly, there are people who lack a sense of humor, suggesting that they are outliers but still important in evolutionary terms. Even anecdotes should not be discounted as they can provide valuable insights. For example, Che Guevara and Milton Friedman were individuals completely devoid of musical appreciation. Such rare cases are fascinating and warrant further research.

Rory Sutherland is a British advertising executive, author, and marketing visionary. He’s the UK Vice Chairman of Ogilvy, one of the world's largest and most renowned ad firms. Mad Men is largely inspired by the company and one of the firm’s founders, David Ogilvy.

Rory started Ogilvy’s behavioral science practice, pioneering the application of behavioral economics and evolutionary psychology to marketing and advertising.

Some of his counterintuitive theories on marketing and human behavior are compiled in his book Alchemy: The Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense, where, primarily, he argues that great marketing ideas are often built around a core that is profoundly irrational.

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