The Enigma of Reason

Hugo Mercier and Dan Sperber challenge the traditional view of reason as a solitary tool for finding truth. Instead, they propose an interactionist account: reason evolved primarily to help humans justify their beliefs and actions to others, and to evaluate the arguments presented by others. This social function explains why reason is so effective in group settings yet often fails when used in isolation, leading to confirmation bias and the production of well-reasoned nonsense.

Drawing on evolutionary biology, psychology, and philosophy, the authors argue that reason is a cognitive adaptation for social life. It allows humans to exploit their rich social environment by generating arguments that support their own views and by critically assessing the justifications of others. This perspective resolves long-standing puzzles about the strengths and weaknesses of human reasoning, positioning it not as a universal truth-finder, but as a specialized mechanism for social coordination and persuasion.

Description adapted from Open Library ↗.