These tools are not a standard part of our education, and have never been presented clearly and entertainingly in a single book-until now. We actually think in ways that are sensible in the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives, but fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning we’ve discovered over the millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, correlation and causation, and optimal ways to update beliefs and commit to choices individually and with others. After all, we discovered the laws of nature, lengthened and enriched our lives, and set out the benchmarks for rationality itself. Pinker rejects the cynical cliché that humans are simply irrational-cavemen out of time saddled with biases, fallacies, and illusions.

How can a species that developed vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, medical quackery, and conspiracy theorizing? Today humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding-and also appears to be losing its mind. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here.Īny changes made can be done at any time and will become effective at the end of the trial period, allowing you to retain full access for 4 weeks, even if you downgrade or cancel.Can reading a book make you more rational? Can it help us understand why there is so much irrationality in the world? Steven Pinker, author of Enlightenment Now, answers all the questions here You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many user’s needs.

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