The video titled "The Future of Reasoning" by Michael Stevens discusses the evolution and current state of human reasoning. It highlights how our reasoning abilities have evolved to guide us towards truer knowledge and better decisions, but also reveals how these abilities are struggling against the complexity of our modern world.
The video begins by exploring the concept of the mind as an ever-expanding organ, made up of not only our biological brains but also our technological, cultural, and social constructs. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of human minds and how communication allows us to extend our minds, accessing the knowledge and perspectives of others.
However, Stevens also points out the limitations of our reasoning abilities. He discusses the concept of behavioral inertia, which refers to the tendency to keep doing what we're already doing, and how this can slow down innovation and adaptation. He also raises concerns about the environmental impacts of our society, noting how our emissions are not only invisible and their consequences not immediate or local, but also impact future generations.
The video further explores the concept of reason, defining it as a way of making inferences from the information we already have. It discusses how reasoning has evolved to help us make social decisions, allowing us to justify our beliefs and convince others of our rightness. However, it also acknowledges the biases and errors that can arise in our reasoning, such as the confirmation bias, where we tend to look for, prefer, and interpret information that confirms our existing beliefs.
Stevens suggests that the future of reason may lie in the construction of a lottocracy, a form of government where decisions are made by randomly chosen citizens who deliberate on assigned issues until a conclusion is reached or a recommendation is made. He argues that this approach would help elevate our reasoning abilities, allowing us to better understand and address the hyperobjects that we face, such as the impact of emissions on our planet.
In conclusion, the video emphasizes the importance of reason, but also acknowledges its limitations and potential for improvement. It suggests that widening participation in deliberation and applying reason properly to these hyperobjects could provide us with a kind of existential security, preparing us for future challenges.
1. The speaker discusses the function of the human mind, stating that it is much larger than just the brain. The mind also includes the physical world, people, and even other people's memories and perceptions [00:00:07.89, 00:00:53.84].
2. The speaker mentions that the human mind has evolved to reason, which helps us make decisions and discover new knowledge [00:01:38.02].
3. The speaker argues that the human species has evolved to use reason to navigate the world, but the complexity of modern life presents challenges that could strain this ability [00:07:07.99, 00:07:13.61].
4. The speaker discusses the concept of a 'hyperobject', a massively distributed system that is difficult to comprehend. This concept is used to describe issues like climate change, which has far-reaching consequences [00:05:02.29, 00:05:19.33].
5. The speaker mentions that reasoning, which is a process of making inferences based on facts, is not always automatic or instinctive. It requires conscious consideration and critical thinking [00:08:34.22].
6. The speaker discusses the concept of 'intuition', arguing that our brains have evolved to react to the world around us in ways that we are not always consciously aware of [00:14:05.11].
7. The speaker introduces the concept of the 'confirmation bias', where individuals tend to interpret information in a way that confirms their existing beliefs [00:19:50.31].
8. The speaker discusses the concept of the 'wisdom of the crowds', suggesting that a group of people can process information more effectively than an individual [00:21:25.33].
9. The speaker proposes the idea of a 'lottocracy', a form of government where decisions are made by randomly selected individuals, as a way to encourage more deliberation and accountability [00:27:02.03, 00:27:11.06].
10. The speaker concludes by suggesting that widening participation in deliberation could provide a sense of security for future generations, as the impact of emissions on the planet is just one of many 'hyperproblems' that humanity will face [00:28:51.66, 00:29:00.10].