PHIL 4093/4093H/5093 Special Topics: Signals, Nudges, and Manipulation (Spring 2023)
Prof. Funkhouser
MWF 10:45-11:35; JBHT 0234
Topic: Not everything that we believe is grounded in our epistemic rationality. Some of our beliefs are due to manipulations -- nudges -- that others perform on us. Many of these nudges exploit non-rational processes, and many occur without our awareness. There are also things that we believe so as to manipulate others, though we might be unaware of this fact. These include beliefs that function as signals. This course is about such nudges and signals, both of which involve manipulation (in some sense) and serve ends other than those of standard epistemology. (There are signals and nudges for actions as well, but our focus will be on belief.)
Topic: Rational Persuasion and Epistemically Sound Belief Formation: Ideals or Antiquated Mythology?
January 18
Clifford, "The Ethics of Belief" *Notes*
January 20
Mill, On Liberty, Chapter 2 *Notes*
Topic: Nudge
January 23
Thaler and Sunstein, Nudge, Introduction and Chapter 1 *Notes*
January 25
Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Chapters 1-5 *Notes*
January 27
Thaler and Sunstein, Nudge, Chapters 2-3 *Notes*
January 30
Thaler and Sunstein, Nudge, Chapters 4-5 *Notes*
February 1
Akerlof and Shiller, Phishing for Phools, Introduction and Chapter 1 *Notes*
Fun little video on the invisible hand and another on the basics of market equilibrium.
February 3
Akerlof and Shiller, Phishing for Phools, Chapters 2-3 *Notes*
[Read Nudge, Chapters 6-15 at your own pace.]
February 6
Gigerenzer, "On the Supposed Evidence for Libertarian Paternalism" *Notes*
February 8
Cont'd
February 10
Thaler and Sunstein, Nudge, Chapters 16-Postscript *Notes*
Topic: Manipulation, Autonomy, and Ethics
February 13
Todd, "Manipulation" *Notes*
February 15
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, "The Ethics of Manipulation"
February 17
Schmidt and Engelen, "The Ethics of Nudging: An Overview" *Notes*
February 20
Hausman and Welch, "Debate: To Nudge or Not to Nudge" *Notes*
February 22
Levy, "Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink: Nudging is Giving Reasons" *Notes*
February 24
Sunstein, The Ethics of Influence, Chapter 5
Topic: Nudges in Digital Spaces
February 27
Jongepier and Klenk, "Online Manipulation: Charting the Field" *Notes*
March 1
Cont'd
March 3
Sullivan and Reiner, "Digital Wellness and Persuasive Technologies" *Notes*
Twitter Nudges: To Be Nice...To Read...
March 6
Susser et al., "Online Manipulation: Hidden Influences in a Digital World" *Notes*
March 8
Purohit et al., "Designing for Digital Detox" *Notes*
March 10
Topic: Introduction to Signaling
March 13
Krebs and Dawkins, "Animal Signals: Mind-Reading and Manipulation" *Notes*
March 15
Zahavi, "Mate Selection -- A Selection for a Handicap" *Notes*
March 17
Cont'd
March 20-24
No Class -- Spring Break
Topic: Signaling and Human Behavior
March 27
Irons, "Religion as a Hard-to-Fake Sign of Commitment" *Notes*
March 29
Sosis, "Why Aren't We All Hutterites?" *Notes*
March 31
Cont'd
Topic: Socially Adaptive Belief and Signaling
April 3
Funkhouser, "Beliefs as Signals: A New Function for Belief" *Notes*
April 5
Williams, "Socially Adaptive Belief" *Notes*
April 7
Cont'd
April 10
Hannon and de Ridder, "The Point of Political Belief" *Notes*
April 12
Funkhouser, "A Tribal Mind: Beliefs that Signal Group Identity or Commitment" *Notes*
April 14
Cont'd
Topic: Motivated Reasoning, Self-Deception, and Signaling
April 17
Kunda, "The Case for Motivated Reasoning" *Notes*
Short Paper #4 (Graduate Students Only)
April 19
Cont'd
April 21
von Hippel and Trivers, "The Evolution and Psychology of Self-Deception" (pp. 1-15 only) *Notes*
April 24
Cont'd
April 26
Williams, "The Marketplace of Rationalizations" *Notes*
April 28
Ganapini, "The Signaling Function of Sharing Fake Stories" *Notes*
May 1
Bullock et al., "Partisan Bias in Factual Beliefs about Politics" *Notes*
May 3
Conclusion
May 8 (10:15-12:15)
Final Exam