Silly Little Country

How we Know what we know

Many of my favourite blogs have been lately on about Dawkins' anti-belief-in-God book. Chris Dillow has produced what I suspect in many ways is the nicest comment on the discussion (if you start with this post it will send you back through other discussion).

Thhs is dead true:

Most of us are more inclined to believe things if others do so. So, a big reason for us not to believe there’s a teapot orbiting the sun is simply that no-one else believes it. By contrast, countless intelligent people believe in God, and this disposes us to think God might exist.
Now, the thing about the heuristic of social proof is that it is often works well, because others often know more than we do. If you’re looking for a place to eat in a strange town, it’s sensible to avoid an empty restaurant, because the locals probably know more than you do.

There is a lot in the post, so I suggest going and reading it, and in fact reading his other posts on many topics, including Shania Twain. And even on yet other Canadians, somewhat like Borat: see this.

For me, the message here is not about God or Dawkins. It’s that it’s very hard for us to think rationally. It’s difficult to steer between being overconfident in our own judgement on the one hand, and being overly deferential to the consensus on the other.
This is another reason why I don’t trust my judgment.

Yea, verily.

posted by Alan Adamson @ 6:35 PM