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belief

True Believers?

True Believers?

Posted on 28 October 2024 by

Introduction One popular image of the ‘brainwashed’ person is someone who repeats what their leader says and who professes conviction in what they repeat. But do brainwashed people really believe […]

Extreme belief systems

Extreme belief systems

Posted on 22 July 2024 by

In Kirill Srebrennikov’s 2016 film, The Student, Venia, a lonely high school student begins to intensely read the bible and appeal to it for everything he says and does. Through […]

How to take an extremist seriously

How to take an extremist seriously

Posted on 25 December 2023 by

With the rise of polarization and support for right-wing populism, there is a call to take seriously the perspectives of those who seemingly turn away from liberal democratic ideals. But […]

Extremism and the Good Life – Part 1

Extremism and the Good Life – Part 1

Posted on 30 October 2023 by

“Want to live the good life? Join an extremist group!” This odd piece of advice flies in the face of thousands of years of ethical theorizing, not to mention common […]

Can People Be Epistemically Blameworthy?

Can People Be Epistemically Blameworthy?

Posted on 17 April 2023 by

We blame people for lots of things, such as stealing from others, forgetting our birthday, and voting for our political opponents. But it also seems that we sometimes blame people […]

The Social Roots of Irrationality

The Social Roots of Irrationality

Posted on 17 October 2022 by

Many animals navigate their environments with the use of internal models. It is tempting to think of human beliefs as just a highly complex example of this strategy. On this […]

Thoughts for Sale

Thoughts for Sale

Posted on 5 September 2022 by

My father spent his career working in production for large bakeries, supervising and troubleshooting the mass production of bread and buns. He would get up at 5:00 in the morning, […]

Honesty and Radically Opposing Views: Flat-Earthers, Apocalyptic Preachers, and 2020 American Election-Deniers

Honesty and Radically Opposing Views: Flat-Earthers, Apocalyptic Preachers, and 2020 American Election-Deniers

Posted on 25 January 2021 by

One of the common labels used to condemn the other side is ‘dishonest.’ They are a bunch of liars. Or cheaters. Or deceivers. Don’t trust anything they say. We see […]

Do we have the will to change what we believe?

Do we have the will to change what we believe?

Posted on 12 August 2019 by

A tweet made it to the United States’ front page of Reddit.com on July 21st 2019 from the subreddit, r/GetMotivated. The tweet, originally from @michaelmiraflor, read, “Unfollow models and influencers. […]

What Polarization Does to Us

What Polarization Does to Us

Posted on 30 May 2019 by

Commentators from across the political spectrum warn us that extreme partisan polarization is dissolving all bases for political cooperation, thereby undermining our democracy.  The near total consensus on this point […]