#711 Daniel Williams: Beliefs, Rationalization Markets, Misinformation, and Motivated Cognition
RECORDED ON SEPTEMBER 5th 2022.
Dr. Daniel Williams is a Research Fellow at Corpus Christi College, University of Cambridge, and an Associate Fellow at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (CFI). He works mostly in the philosophy of mind and psychology. His primary research interest at the moment is on how various forms of irrationality and bias are socially adaptive, enabling individuals to achieve social goals that are in conflict with epistemic goals.
In this episode, we talk about beliefs, rationalization markets, misinformation, and motivated cognition. We start with beliefs: what they are, where they stem from, and why we hold them. We discuss the social functions of beliefs, and get into socially adaptive beliefs, and their relationship with confabulation, rationalization, positive illusions, and identity-protective cognition. We talk about rationalization markets, politics, and understanding misinformation. Finally, we discuss absurd beliefs, irrationality, and motivated cognition, with a focus on motivated ignorance.
Time Links:
Intro
Beliefs: what they are, where they stem from, why we hold them
The social aspects of beliefs
Socially adaptive beliefs, and their relationship with confabulation, rationalization, positive illusions, and identity-protective cognition
Rationalization markets, politics, and understanding misinformation
Absurd beliefs
What is irrationality?
Motivated reasoning, and motivated ignorance
Follow Dr. Williams’ work!
Follow Dr. Williams’ work:
University page: https://bit.ly/3yG03Ji
Website: https://bit.ly/39wiFB6
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/3wk2nUB