The Evolution Of Reason

Author : William S. Cooper
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 242 pages
File Size : 52,8 Mb
Release : 2001
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0521540259

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The Evolution of Reason by William S. Cooper Pdf

The formal systems of logic have ordinarily been regarded as independent of biology, but recent developments in evolutionary theory suggest that biology and logic may be intimately interrelated. In this book, William Cooper outlines a theory of rationality in which logical law emerges as an intrinsic aspect of evolutionary biology. This biological perspective on logic, though at present unorthodox, could change traditional ideas about the reasoning process. Cooper examines the connections between logic and evolutionary biology and illustrates how logical rules are derived directly from evolutionary principles, and therefore have no independent status of their own. Laws of decision theory, utility theory, induction, and deduction are reinterpreted as natural consequences of evolutionary processes. Cooper's connection of logical law to evolutionary theory ultimately results in a unified foundation for an evolutionary science of reason. It will be of interest to professionals and students of philosophy of science, logic, evolutionary theory, and cognitive science.

Author : Hugo Mercier,Dan Sperber
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 405 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2017-04-17
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780674368309

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The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier,Dan Sperber Pdf

“Brilliant...Timely and necessary.” —Financial Times “Especially timely as we struggle to make sense of how it is that individuals and communities persist in holding beliefs that have been thoroughly discredited.” —Darren Frey, Science If reason is what makes us human, why do we behave so irrationally? And if it is so useful, why didn’t it evolve in other animals? This groundbreaking account of the evolution of reason by two renowned cognitive scientists seeks to solve this double enigma. Reason, they argue, helps us justify our beliefs, convince others, and evaluate arguments. It makes it easier to cooperate and communicate and to live together in groups. Provocative, entertaining, and undeniably relevant, The Enigma of Reason will make many reasonable people rethink their beliefs. “Reasonable-seeming people are often totally irrational. Rarely has this insight seemed more relevant...Still, an essential puzzle remains: How did we come to be this way?...Cognitive scientists Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber [argue that] reason developed not to enable us to solve abstract, logical problems...[but] to resolve the problems posed by living in collaborative groups.” —Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker “Turns reason’s weaknesses into strengths, arguing that its supposed flaws are actually design features that work remarkably well.” —Financial Times “The best thing I have read about human reasoning. It is extremely well written, interesting, and very enjoyable to read.” —Gilbert Harman, Princeton University

Author : Jerry A. Coyne
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 416 pages
File Size : 45,5 Mb
Release : 2010-01-14
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780191643842

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Why Evolution is True by Jerry A. Coyne Pdf

For all the discussion in the media about creationism and 'Intelligent Design', virtually nothing has been said about the evidence in question - the evidence for evolution by natural selection. Yet, as this succinct and important book shows, that evidence is vast, varied, and magnificent, and drawn from many disparate fields of science. The very latest research is uncovering a stream of evidence revealing evolution in action - from the actual observation of a species splitting into two, to new fossil discoveries, to the deciphering of the evidence stored in our genome. Why Evolution is True weaves together the many threads of modern work in genetics, palaeontology, geology, molecular biology, anatomy, and development to demonstrate the 'indelible stamp' of the processes first proposed by Darwin. It is a crisp, lucid, and accessible statement that will leave no one with an open mind in any doubt about the truth of evolution.

Author : Hugo Mercier
Publisher : Harvard University Press
Page : 408 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2017-04-17
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780674977846

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The Enigma of Reason by Hugo Mercier Pdf

If reason is so useful and reliable, why didn’t it evolve in other animals and why do humans produce so much thoroughly reasoned nonsense? Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber argue that reason is not geared to solitary use. It evolved to help justify our beliefs to others, evaluate their arguments, and better exploit our uniquely rich social environment.

Author : David Papineau
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 252 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2006-01-26
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780191516085

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The Roots of Reason by David Papineau Pdf

David Papineau presents a controversial view of human reason, portraying it as a normal part of the natural world, and drawing on the empirical sciences to illuminate its workings. In these six interconnected essays he offers a fresh approach to some long-standing problems. Papineau rejects the contemporary orthodoxy that genuine thought hinges on some species of non-natural normativity. He explores the evolutionary histories of theoretical and practical rationality, indicating ways in which capacities underlying human reasoning have been selected for their biological advantages. He then looks at the connection between decision and probability, explaining how good decisions need to be informed by causal as well as probabilistic facts. Finally he defends the radical view that a satisfactory understanding of decision-making is only possible within a specific interpretation of quantum mechanics. By placing the subject in its scientific context, Papineau shows how human rationality plays an explicable role in the functioning of the natural world.

Author : David M. Sternberg
Publisher : iUniverse
Page : 112 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2008-07
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9780595501335

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Thought Genesis by David M. Sternberg Pdf

In the past few decades, the study of the mind has been radiated in the field of cognitive neuroscience by numerous breakthroughs. At last, scientists have the ability to explain in unparalleled detail the intricate processes taking place inside the human brain. This field of cognitive neuroscience gives us the right tools to decipher the protocols which spawn behaviors, and confirm that our conscious thought is ruled by physiological networks predisposed to their natural environment. In Thought Genesis, David M. Sternberg takes us through a fascinating multidisciplinary voyage to unearth the very origins of thought. Much like an astrophysicist observes distant celestial objects to look back in time to beginning of the world, Sternberg examines the behaviors of lesser but fascinating species and reveals the very first moments our ancestors became aware and conscious of their environment. With easy-to-understand language, Sternberg not only discusses how a simple yet fundamental consciousness evolved to the complex human mind, but also raises attractive philosophical conundrums that test the manners in which we perceive the world. Take a mesmerizing journey into the intricacy of human thought and expand your world with Thought Genesis.

Author : National Academy of Sciences
Publisher : Sackler Colloquium
Page : 388 pages
File Size : 44,8 Mb
Release : 2007
Category : Science
ISBN : UOM:39015073872999

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In the Light of Evolution by National Academy of Sciences Pdf

The Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia of the National Academy of Sciences address scientific topics of broad and current interest, cutting across the boundaries of traditional disciplines. Each year, four or five such colloquia are scheduled, typically two days in length and international in scope. Colloquia are organized by a member of the Academy, often with the assistance of an organizing committee, and feature presentations by leading scientists in the field and discussions with a hundred or more researchers with an interest in the topic. Colloquia presentations are recorded and posted on the National Academy of Sciences Sackler colloquia website and published on CD-ROM. These Colloquia are made possible by a generous gift from Mrs. Jill Sackler, in memory of her husband, Arthur M. Sackler.

Author : Alex Bezzerides
Publisher : HarperCollins
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2021-05-18
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781443457026

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Evolution Gone Wrong by Alex Bezzerides Pdf

An eye-opening look into why our bodies work—or don’t—the way they do. From blurry vision to crooked teeth, ACLs (anterior cruciate ligaments) that tear at alarming rates and spines that seem to spend a lifetime falling apart, it’s surprising that human beings have beaten the odds as a species. After all, we’re the only survivors on our branch of the tree of life. Why do human mothers have such a life-endangering experience giving birth? And why are there entire medical specialties for teeth and feet? In this funny, wide-ranging and often surprising book, biologist Alex Bezzerides tells us from where we inherited our adaptable, achy, brilliant bodies in the process of evolution. The book traces the delightfully unexpected answers to these questions and many more: · Why do we blink? · Why don’t our teeth regularly fit in our mouths? · Why do women menstruate when so many other mammals don’t? · Why did humans stand up on two legs in the first place?

Author : George Andrew Zellers
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 188 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 1927
Category : Evolution
ISBN : LCCN:27015254

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Reason and Evolution by George Andrew Zellers Pdf

Author : Ernesto Ruffini
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2011-07-01
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1258056909

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The Theory of Evolution Judged by Reason and Faith by Ernesto Ruffini Pdf

Author : Marek Kohn
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 392 pages
File Size : 40,9 Mb
Release : 2005
Category : Evolution (Biology)
ISBN : 0571223931

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A Reason for Everything by Marek Kohn Pdf

'An educative and fascinating tale... Kohn is a wonderful writer.' - A.C. Grayling, Literary Review

Author : Rupert Riedl,Robert Kaspar
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 274 pages
File Size : 49,8 Mb
Release : 1984-07-03
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : UOM:39015054075521

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Biology of Knowledge by Rupert Riedl,Robert Kaspar Pdf

This bold study is intended to show not only how biological knowledge is acquired, but also how the biological cognitive process itself works, how organisms become aware of their life problems, which algorithms(methods of calculations) have proved reliable for dealing with information from their surroundings and activities, and how these methods become anchored in organisms. Attempts to expose reason's pitfalls and find solutions to some as yet unsolved epistemological questions within the framework of the theory of their evolution. Demonstrates that reason and experience, idea and reality, and mind and matter have been unjustly separated.

Author : Denise D. Cummins,Colin Allen
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 284 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 1998
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 0195110536

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The Evolution of Mind by Denise D. Cummins,Colin Allen Pdf

In The Evolution of Mind, outstanding figures on the cutting edge of evolutionary psychology follow clues provided by current neuroscientific evidence to illuminate many puzzling questions of human cognitive evolution. With contributions from psychologists, ethologists, anthropologists, and philosophers, the book offers a broad range of approaches to explore the mysteries of the mind's evolution - from investigating the biological functions of human cognition to drawing comparisons between human and animal cognitive abilities.

Author : Ernesto Ruffini (Card.)
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 205 pages
File Size : 49,7 Mb
Release : 1959
Category : Evolution
ISBN : OCLC:222265372

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The Theory of Evolution Judged by Reason and Faith by Ernesto Ruffini (Card.) Pdf

Author : Robin Dunbar
Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
Page : 289 pages
File Size : 54,5 Mb
Release : 2020
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780190922894

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Evolution: What Everyone Needs to Know by Robin Dunbar Pdf

After two centuries of intensive scientific effort, we now have the luxury of a theory that provides a general explanation for that richness, often in quite considerable detail. That theory is Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin's theory is famous for two reasons. One is that it is the second most successful theory in the history of science (after quantum theory in physics) in terms of its ability both to explain what we see in the natural world and to stimulate new ideas and research that have uncovered rich seams of novel findings. The second has been its ability, as a theory, to provide a unifying framework for a disparate array of disciplines that do not always see themselves as natural allies. That array includes not just the various life sciences (ecology, genetics, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and animal behaviour), but also "hard" sciences like chemistry, the softer sciences like medicine, sociology, anthropology and economics, and even the humanities. History, linguistics, literature - all fall under the purview of evolutionary theory"--