Daniel Patrick Moynahan, late Democratic senator from New York once said "You are entitled to your own opinions. You are not entitled to your own facts." In the past, as a scientist, I always puzzled over human behavior (including my own) and wondered why it is so frequently irrational. It seems, perhaps, that irrationality. or at least the absence of rationality was a human survival trait. Perhaps long ago our genes posed the question: "What is more important? To hold the same beliefs as the rest of our tribe and thereby ensure security against threats like the wolf at the door or the new caveman with a bigger club? Or, discover and reveal the facts that overthrow the beliefs of one's tribe?" Clearly, we opted for security over truth and this served us well for millenia.
Now, in our industrial/post industrial age, where it is difficult if not impossible to identify with a tribe, our survival no longer depends on holding a set of beliefs that support the tribe. In fact, simple belief without rational understanding , achieved in part through scientific inquiry, is detrimental to our survival. For example, if we collectively hold the unproven belief that our practice of burning vast quantities of hydrocarbons does not impact our long term survival, then we are doomed. I think that our genes and the behaviors they promote are no longer helping us. But, our ability to adapt and evolve in response to our actions is very limited.
As to human "irrationality", which I view as adaptive paranoia and group think, it served us well on the planet as it was with a small hominid population. With billions of us and our god-like technologies doing major terraforming, that mindset could well be our doom. I don't see us switching mental horses in time.
Thanks for adding to the on-line conversation and reader stats Grant! 👌
I will close my participation in this enlightening dialogue by observing that science and belief need not be at loggerheads. Wearing my philosopher's cap (squarish and tassled- think Dumbledore) I consider the seeming opposition only an artifact. It ultimately boils down to a matter of choice. Choice boils down to free will. Free will boils down to determinism. So far we are still under the purview of Science. Now determinism boils down to randomicity vs. order and here Science begins to struggle. It also becomes a matter of establishing whether physical laws are everywhere the same, isotropic, and also whether physical laws are time-independent.. Deep waters indeed.
Let me add that besides being the most reliable way to view the mechanisms and causal relations in the observable world, Science is, unlike Belief, open-ended and dynamic, not sharing the static nature of the latter. Just when we create a Standard Model, a GUT, or classify a species into a given taxonomic slot, we wind up having to eventually reassess.
I think I don’t have many friends because I am one of those people that enjoy being challenged. It either reinforces my beliefs or (and even better) forces me to exchange them for something that is more (or absolutely) correct. And I don’t understand (and actively avoid) folks that resist truth.
You just need to find a better class of friends Julia! That's one of the nice things about hanging out here on Substack.
I find it's the strong confident folks who can tolerate, and even enjoy (as you say) having their beliefs challenged. There can be no learning or growth without being open to the very real possibility that we just might not know everything!
I take comfort in knowing what is knowable. I don't see science as the enemy. There is so much that is uncertain and unknowable in life. So much that science cannot explain. I am happy to let these mysteries be. The truth provides me with solid ground upon which I can look out and marvel at the complexity and mystery of our existence.
"So much that science cannot explain" ... I would add YET to that. Give it time, we'll get there and meanwhile it's OK to say we don't know but we are working on it.
good and safe and smart and righteous.
Oh, this is so chastening. As a vegan I identify utterly with these words...
Of course, in your case you happen to be right and entitled to feel so! 👌
Daniel Patrick Moynahan, late Democratic senator from New York once said "You are entitled to your own opinions. You are not entitled to your own facts." In the past, as a scientist, I always puzzled over human behavior (including my own) and wondered why it is so frequently irrational. It seems, perhaps, that irrationality. or at least the absence of rationality was a human survival trait. Perhaps long ago our genes posed the question: "What is more important? To hold the same beliefs as the rest of our tribe and thereby ensure security against threats like the wolf at the door or the new caveman with a bigger club? Or, discover and reveal the facts that overthrow the beliefs of one's tribe?" Clearly, we opted for security over truth and this served us well for millenia.
Now, in our industrial/post industrial age, where it is difficult if not impossible to identify with a tribe, our survival no longer depends on holding a set of beliefs that support the tribe. In fact, simple belief without rational understanding , achieved in part through scientific inquiry, is detrimental to our survival. For example, if we collectively hold the unproven belief that our practice of burning vast quantities of hydrocarbons does not impact our long term survival, then we are doomed. I think that our genes and the behaviors they promote are no longer helping us. But, our ability to adapt and evolve in response to our actions is very limited.
Yes, that Moynihan quote is one of my faves!
As to human "irrationality", which I view as adaptive paranoia and group think, it served us well on the planet as it was with a small hominid population. With billions of us and our god-like technologies doing major terraforming, that mindset could well be our doom. I don't see us switching mental horses in time.
Thanks for adding to the on-line conversation and reader stats Grant! 👌
I will close my participation in this enlightening dialogue by observing that science and belief need not be at loggerheads. Wearing my philosopher's cap (squarish and tassled- think Dumbledore) I consider the seeming opposition only an artifact. It ultimately boils down to a matter of choice. Choice boils down to free will. Free will boils down to determinism. So far we are still under the purview of Science. Now determinism boils down to randomicity vs. order and here Science begins to struggle. It also becomes a matter of establishing whether physical laws are everywhere the same, isotropic, and also whether physical laws are time-independent.. Deep waters indeed.
Let me add that besides being the most reliable way to view the mechanisms and causal relations in the observable world, Science is, unlike Belief, open-ended and dynamic, not sharing the static nature of the latter. Just when we create a Standard Model, a GUT, or classify a species into a given taxonomic slot, we wind up having to eventually reassess.
So true Michael. Science as "successive approximations of the truth". The search never ends.
I think I don’t have many friends because I am one of those people that enjoy being challenged. It either reinforces my beliefs or (and even better) forces me to exchange them for something that is more (or absolutely) correct. And I don’t understand (and actively avoid) folks that resist truth.
You just need to find a better class of friends Julia! That's one of the nice things about hanging out here on Substack.
I find it's the strong confident folks who can tolerate, and even enjoy (as you say) having their beliefs challenged. There can be no learning or growth without being open to the very real possibility that we just might not know everything!
A couple of splendid quotations there - thank you.
Glad you enjoyed those Richard!
Pretty much sums up our current electoral environment.
Crikey, yes!
I take comfort in knowing what is knowable. I don't see science as the enemy. There is so much that is uncertain and unknowable in life. So much that science cannot explain. I am happy to let these mysteries be. The truth provides me with solid ground upon which I can look out and marvel at the complexity and mystery of our existence.
https://open.spotify.com/track/7MQivOZVwEtP6U6gvidRAP?si=4f05a6a69ef34aed
"So much that science cannot explain" ... I would add YET to that. Give it time, we'll get there and meanwhile it's OK to say we don't know but we are working on it.
Yes, I was thinking to post exactly the same annotation as I was scrolling down through the comments.
Good comment John. The best scientists are the most humble about what science can't illuminate and the limits of our knowing.