I’d say it’s such a broad subject that there have to be some screws in there as well. I think Hanson has too much faith in the ability of evolved systems to function in a radically changed environment. Even if signaling dominates the evolutionary origins of our brain, it’s not advisable to just label everything we do now as directed towards signaling, any more than sex is always directed towards reproduction. You have to get into the nitty gritty of how our minds carry out the signaling. Conspiracy theorists don’t signal effectively, though you can probably relate their behavior back to mechanisms originally directed towards, or at least compatible with, signaling.
Also, an ability to switch between clear “near” thinking and fluffy “far” thinking presupposes a rational decision maker to implement the switch. I’m not sure Hanson pays enough attention to how, when, and for what reasons we do this.
I agree in principle but I think this particular topic is fairly nailoid in nature.
I’d say it’s such a broad subject that there have to be some screws in there as well. I think Hanson has too much faith in the ability of evolved systems to function in a radically changed environment. Even if signaling dominates the evolutionary origins of our brain, it’s not advisable to just label everything we do now as directed towards signaling, any more than sex is always directed towards reproduction. You have to get into the nitty gritty of how our minds carry out the signaling. Conspiracy theorists don’t signal effectively, though you can probably relate their behavior back to mechanisms originally directed towards, or at least compatible with, signaling.
Also, an ability to switch between clear “near” thinking and fluffy “far” thinking presupposes a rational decision maker to implement the switch. I’m not sure Hanson pays enough attention to how, when, and for what reasons we do this.