Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Reason Won’t Save Us

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

"I have come to feel that conscious reasoning, the commonly believed remedy for our social ills, is an illusion, an epiphenomenon supported by age-old mythology rather than convincing scientific evidence," writes neurologist Robert A. Burton. "There is no compelling evidence to suggest that public debate on virtually any subject can ever be resolved through reason. We migrate toward what we feel is best." Understanding what actually motivates our thoughts and beliefs is a necessary first step in understanding how to improve them.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Nov 23, 2024 5:55 p.m.

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