PHIL 5983, Seminar: Reason and Manipulation (Spring 2024)
Prof. Funkhouser
Wednesdays, 3:30-5:45
Course Description: The topic of this seminar is how human reason might have “manipulative” functions, where these are understood to be functions besides just getting at the truth and persuading others of it. (I will use the word ‘manipulation’ in a morally neutral sense to cover any kind of influence, especially through non-persuasive means.) Our primary examples will be beliefs relating to socio-political matters or issues connected to one’s valued identity. We will study how evolutionary processes – biological, cultural, and individual – have shaped cognition for sociality. This is primarily a cognitive science seminar, though it will also touch on issues in epistemology, philosophy of mind, and political philosophy. We will not address ethical issues related to manipulation.
Politically polarized beliefs will loom large as paradigm examples. The literature on political polarization is enormous, and we will not be able to do justice to it. Our focus will be on the cognitive science and (mal)adaptive psychology underlying these cases of apparent irrationality. We will investigate the cognitive mechanisms that can induce deviations from epistemic norms when it comes to personally and socially important issues.
Topic: Rationality and Some Challenges
January 17: Belief and Accuracy
McKay and Dennett, "The Evolution of Misbelief" Notes
de Ridder, "Deep Disagreements and Political Polarization" Notes
Background: “Belief” (SEP); Bayes’ Theorem + Basic Bayes
January 24: Bayesian(-Friendly) Approaches
Lieder & Griffiths, "Resource-Rational Analysis..." Notes
Kelly, "Disagreement, Dogmatism, and Belief Polarization" Notes
Levy, "Due Deference to Denialism..." Notes
Extra: Dorst, "Rational Polarization"
Topic: Some Non-Epistemic Functions for Belief (Self-Regulation)
January 31: Motivated Reasoning
Kahan et al., "The Polarizing Impact of Science Literacy..." Notes
Kahan, "Misconceptions, Misinformation, and the Logic of Identity-Protective Cognition" Notes
Stanley et al., "Resistance to Position Change, Motivated Reasoning, and Polarization" Notes
Background: Kunda, "The Case for Motivated Reasoning" Notes
February 7: Psychological Immune System
Taylor & Brown, "Illusion and Well-Being..." Notes
Mandelbaum, "Troubles with Bayesianism..." Notes
Topic: Easy or Tough to Believe?
February 14: Cartesian vs. Spinozan Accounts
Mandelbaum, "Thinking is Believing" Notes
Porot and Mandelbaum, "The Science of Belief..." Notes
Vorms et al., "Plausibility Matters..." Notes
February 21: Gullibility vs. Vigilance
Sperber et al., "Epistemic Vigilance" Notes
Mercier, Not Born Yesterday, Intro, Chapters 1-3 Notes
Mercier, "Reputation Management and Cultural Evolution" Notes
Topic: The Argumentative Theory of Reason
February 28
Mercier & Sperber, The Enigma of Reason, Intro, Chapters 1-6 Notes
March 6
Mercier & Sperber, The Enigma of Reason, Chapters 7-15 Notes
March 13
Cont'd
March 20
No Class -- Spring Break
March 27:
Mercier & Sperber, The Enigma of Reason, Chapters 16-Conclusion Notes
Sterelny, "Why Reason?..." Notes
Topic: Some More Non-Epistemic Functions for Belief (Social)
April 3: Socially Adaptive Belief and Coalitional Psychology
Williams, "Socially Adaptive Belief" Notes
Williams, "Scaffolding Motivated Cognition" Notes
Williams, "Bad Beliefs..." Notes
April 10: Cont'd
[No in-person seminar -- alternative arrangement]
April 17: Political Polarization & Marketplaces of Rationalizations
Iyengar, "The Polarization of American Politics" Notes
Williams, "The Marketplace of Rationalizations" Notes
Pereira et al., "Identity Concerns Drive Belief..." Notes
Topic: Signaling and More Social Manipulation
April 24: Social Signaling
Funkhouser, "A Tribal Mind..." Notes
Porot and Mandelbaum, "Belief: Cold, Dumb, & Cynical" Notes
May 1: Symbolic Belief
Westra, "Symbolic Belief in Social Cognition" Notes
van Leeuwen, "Religious Credence is not Factual Belief" Notes