{"product_id":"why-think-9780199861583","title":"Why Think","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a world where natural selection has shaped adaptations of astonishing ingenuity, what is the scope and unique power of rational thinking?In this short but wide-ranging book, philosopher Ronald de Sousa looks at the twin set of issues surrounding the power of natural selection to mimic rational design, and rational thinking as itself a product of natural selection.While we commonly deem ourselves superior to other species, the logic of natural selection should not lead us to expect that nature does everything for the best. Similarly, rational action does not always promote the best possible outcomes. So what is the difference? Is the pursuit of rationality actually an effective strategy?Part of the answer lies in language, including mathematics and science. Language is the most striking device by which we have made ourselves smarter than our nearest primate cousins. Sometimes the purely instinctual responses we share with other animals put explicit reasoning to shame: the movements o\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhy Think? is Ronnie de Sousa at his brilliant best-- immensely learned, witty, bold, and a model of clarity. This book is a timely balance to the weight of data emphasizing the emotions and nonconscious processing in decision-making. It weaves coherent story out of a lot of bits and pieces lying about in loose confusion. * Patricia Smith Churchland, President's Professor of Philosophy, University of California, San Diego *\u003cbr\u003eThis book is a tour de force of scholarly insights on one of the most subtle puzzles in cognitive science--the relation between rationality and evolution. * Keith E. Stanovich, author of The Robot's Rebellion: Finding Meaning in the Age of Darwin *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreface ; Acknowledgements ; 1. Introduction ; 2. Function and destiny ; 3. What's the good of thinking? ; 4. Rationality, individual and collective ; 5. Irrationality","brand":"Oxford University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51767088611671,"sku":"9780199861583","price":26.12,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780199861583.jpg?v=1758712283","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/why-think-9780199861583","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}