Today, humanity has achieved incredible technological and scientific development, but it has also lost its mind. How can a species that created a vaccine against COVID-19 in less than a year believe in fake news, conspiracy theories, and quackery? Maybe we're just irrational by nature?
Pinker ruthlessly rejects this claim and proves that both in primitive tribes and in the most technologically advanced cities, people are born intelligent and rational. Humanity has forgotten the benefits of the powerful reasoning tools we discovered over the millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, and causality.
We fear change and always draw wrong conclusions, relying on habits and intuition. But in reality, rationality is only a way to get what we want. She guides us to the best choice and helps this world avoid chaos.
Why should you read the book "Rationality? What is it, why is it important, and why is it so rare?
It helps to understand why there is so much irrationality in the world today and tells how it can be corrected using simple tools.
Shows that the mind has never looked as attractive as emotions, but at the same time, even the most irrational people can act according to the calculation to achieve their goals.
It outlines the classic mistakes and traps our minds fall into when making important choices.
About the author:
Steven Pinker is a Canadian-American scientist who works in the field of experimental psychology and cognitive science. He is also the author of works on the popularization of science. Pinker is known as an active supporter of the concept of evolutionary psychology and the "computational theory of mind."
