ToKCast

Ep 128: Steven Pinker’s ”Rationality” Chapter 5 ”Beliefs & Evidence (Bayesian Reasoning” Remarks & Analysis


Listen Later

This chapter continues the themes from Chapter 4 as well as my episode all about probability, risk and Bayesianism found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOK5aiASmKM which is an exploration of another talk given by David Deutsch on the nature of probability given what we know about physics. So this chapter of Pinker's book Rationality - being centrally concerned about the use of what is called "Bayesian Reasoning" is compared in this episode to alternative explanations of what rationality and reason amount to. More than previous episodes so far that I have published on the book "Rationality" this one is very much a critique. There is much to recommend the book "Rationality" for two reasons (1) it does summarise and explain some common misconceptions about how to reason or common mistakes people make when reasoning - and these are worth knowing (2) it works as an excellent summary of the prevailing intellectual/academic perspective on these matters for people who are interested in what the truth of the matter is. Knowing what "academic experts" think about this stuff means knowing what gets taught and what filters eventually into culture itself via the "top down" education system we presently have. All that is worth knowing. But here, in this chapter, we encounter the fundamental clash of epistemological worldviews: the mainstream intellectual *prescription* of what they think should be the way people think as against Karl Popper's *description* of the reality as to how knowledge is generated and progress made through incremental identification of errors and their correction. Have fun listening!

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

ToKCastBy Brett Hall

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

94 ratings


More shows like ToKCast

View all
The Knowledge Project by Shane Parrish

The Knowledge Project

2,686 Listeners

Making Sense with Sam Harris by Sam Harris

Making Sense with Sam Harris

26,342 Listeners

The a16z Show by Andreessen Horowitz

The a16z Show

1,091 Listeners

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating by Big Bang Productions Inc.

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

1,064 Listeners

Hidden Forces by Demetri Kofinas

Hidden Forces

1,436 Listeners

The Michael Shermer Show by Michael Shermer

The Michael Shermer Show

938 Listeners

Naval by Naval

Naval

2,123 Listeners

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

9,925 Listeners

The Saad Truth with Dr. Saad by thesaadtruthwithdrsaad

The Saad Truth with Dr. Saad

1,192 Listeners

Dwarkesh Podcast by Dwarkesh Patel

Dwarkesh Podcast

525 Listeners

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal by Theories of Everything

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

29 Listeners

Patrick Boyle On Finance by Patrick Boyle

Patrick Boyle On Finance

182 Listeners

Joe Lonsdale: American Optimist by Joe Lonsdale

Joe Lonsdale: American Optimist

167 Listeners

The Poetry of Reality with Richard Dawkins by Richard Dawkins

The Poetry of Reality with Richard Dawkins

94 Listeners

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley by BG2Pod

BG2Pod with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley

466 Listeners