Rationality

In the twenty-first century, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding - and at the same time appears to be losin g its mind. How can a species that discovered vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, quack cures and c onspiracy theorizing?In Rationality, Pinker rejects the cynical cliché that humans are simply an irrational species - cavemen out of time fatally cursed with biases, fallacies and illusions. After all, we discovered the laws of nature, lengthened and enriched our lives and set the benchmarks for rationality itself. Instead, he explains, we think in ways that suit the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives, but fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning we have built up over millennia: logic, c ritical thinking, probability, causal inference, and decision-making under uncertainty. These tools are not a standard part of our e ducational curricula, and have never been presented clearly and entertainingly in a single book - until now.Rationality matters. It leads to better choices in our lives and in the public sphere, and is the ultimate driver of social justice and moral progress. Brim ming with insight and humour, Rationality will enlighten, inspire and empower.