Instead, he explains, we think in ways that suit the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives, but fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning we have built up over millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, causal inference, and decision-making under uncertainty. After all, we discovered the laws of nature, lengthened and enriched our lives and set the benchmarks for rationality itself. In Rationality, Pinker rejects the cynical cliche that humans are simply an irrational species - cavemen out of time fatally cursed with biases, fallacies and illusions. How can a species that discovered vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, quack cures and conspiracy theorizing? In the twenty-first century, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding - and at the same time appears to be losing its mind. It's cheaper, more entertaining, and more effective' Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous Mind 'If you've ever considered taking drugs to make yourself smarter, read Rationality instead. Pinker is the high priest of rationalism' Sunday Times
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