There is no force in the Universe called progress. But there are plenty of natural forces that seem to only make it harder for us to make progress as a species, such as disease, the laws of entropy, and the dark sides of human nature.
So, what pushes humanity forward in the face of all these obstacles? To the psychologist Steven Pinker, the answer is rationality: When people use their reasoning skills and other cognitive abilities to help improve the lives of others, the result is progress.
From pseudoscience to religious extremism, irrational beliefs can cause real harm. That’s why Pinker argues that society would be better off if more people learned to be more rational.
Read the video transcript: https://bigthink.com/series/the-big-think-interview/rationality/
0:00 The bad news: reality
0:39 The good news: rationality
1:26 How rational are we?
3:04 Even Americans, though? (Rationality inequality)
4:45 The pinnacle of human rationality
5:45 How can you teach critical thinking? How?
Showing posts with label rationality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rationality. Show all posts
Thursday, January 26, 2023
Thursday, March 31, 2022
Rationality (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)
Spring is here, and state/church violations are bursting out all over. We report on violations in Ohio, Colorado, West Virginia and Indiana, and ask Idaho's governor not to sign a draconian anti-abortion bill. After hearing Audra McDonald sing the evocative "Spring is Here" by freethinking composer Richard Rodgers, we listen to Harvard Professor Steven Pinker at FFRF's convention in Boston describing his new book, Rationality: What It Is — Why It Is Scarce — Why It Matters.
Interview:
Sunday, March 13, 2022
Steven Pinker: Rationality and why it matters - Freethought Today
"…Rationality should be the fourth "R" taught in school, along with reading, writing and 'rithmetic.
We should have a greater awareness of the fallacies that the unaided human mind is prone to. We should promote the norm, that beliefs should be based on evidence and that changing your mind when the evidence changes should be taken as a sign of strength, not of flip-flopping or weakness…"
Sunday, July 12, 2020
Isaac Asimov talks about superstition, religion and why he teaches rationality - YouTube
This was recorded in 1988. He also explains why some people who think that we should abandon science are wrong and how scientific worldview is the best.
Interview:
Interview:
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
Richard Dawkins: Science in the Soul | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
Author and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins joins Bill to discuss his latest book, "Science in the Soul: Selected Writings of a Passionate Rationalist."....
https://youtu.be/liR2JCybA90
https://youtu.be/liR2JCybA90
Monday, October 15, 2018
Saturday, September 1, 2018
This Rational Doctor Believes in Single-Payer Health Care
This rational American doctor understands that guaranteeing health care to every man, woman and child in this country isn’t such a radical idea after all....
https://youtu.be/q_qcvRPxrWY
https://youtu.be/q_qcvRPxrWY
Monday, July 2, 2018
Jim Jordan reveals just how nutty Republicans have become - The Washington Post:
Forget 'civil' -- Jim Jordan and House Republicans aren't rational. ....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2018/06/28/jim-jordan-reveals-just-how-nutty-republicans-have-become/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2018/06/28/jim-jordan-reveals-just-how-nutty-republicans-have-become/
Monday, October 16, 2017
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Isaac Asimov talks about superstition, religion and why he teaches rationality - YouTube
This was recorded in 1988. He also explains why some people who think that we should abandon science are wrong and how scientific worldview is the best....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSxMZBp-2Zs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSxMZBp-2Zs
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