#703 Neil Levy - Bad Beliefs: Why They Happen to Good People
Dr. Neil Levy is Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics. He is a wide-ranging philosopher, working principally at the intersection of philosophy of mind and psychology and ethics. He is the author of several books, including Bad Beliefs: Why They Happen to Good People.
In this episode, we focus on Bad Beliefs. We start by discussing what are rational beliefs, and concepts like higher-order evidence, and the epistemic environment. We discuss why sometimes people express beliefs they don’t really hold. We talk about how levels of intelligence and education predispose people to holding inaccurate beliefs, and the role played by political ideology. We talk about individual cognition, group deliberation, and knowledge as a social phenomenon. We ask if the “solitary genius” is a myth, and if people really have “belief systems”. We talk about belief revision, and how beliefs are shallow. We discuss the social and institutional cues on which beliefs depend. We also get into virtue epistemology, critical thinking, and nudging. Finally, we discuss if people respond to evidence, and if humans are rational.
Time Links:
Intro
What is a “bad belief”?
Higher-order evidence, the epistemic environment, and the concept of “belief”
Sometimes people express beliefs they don’t really hold
How many people believe in conspiracy theories?
Levels of intelligence and education, and how predisposed people are to holding inaccurate beliefs
The role of political ideology
Are people really passionately committed to defending their beliefs?
Individual cognition, group deliberation, and knowledge as a social phenomenon
Is the “solitary genius” a myth?
Do people really have “belief systems”?
Belief revision
Beliefs are shallow
Political tribes
The social and institutional cues on which beliefs depend
Virtue epistemology
Does “critical thinking” work?
Should people do their own research?
Epistemic pollution
Does nudging work? Is it problematic?
Do people respond to evidence?
Are humans rational?
Follow Dr. Levy’s work!
Follow Dr. Levy’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/3uVqTea
PhilPeople page: https://bit.ly/3Ok1Hpn
Amazon page: https://amzn.to/3oxsYca
Bad Beliefs: https://amzn.to/3KZ4baL