For Argument's Sake by Tom Stafford

Author:Tom Stafford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: persuasion, reason, argument, argument from reason, rationality
Publisher: Tom Stafford

The nature of reason

These successes of group reason are in stark contrast to the known weaknesses of individual reasoning, which is beset with a susceptibility to logical fallacies (as we saw in the Wason selection task), and biases such as confirmation bias.

So striking is the success of reason when deployed in the service of argument that two cognitive scientists, Dan Sperber and Hugo Mercier, have even proposed that this is what reason evolved to do - convince other people in arguments, a legacy of our biological nature to live in social groups. This explains the success of groups on problems that confound individuals, and also explains why we are so good at thinking up reasons why we’re right, even when we’re wrong. If the purpose of reason is to persuade others that we’re right, rather than find the truth directly, then this is just what you’d expect.

This theory connects with that of another important theorist of rationality, Jonathan Haidt. In his book The Righteous Mind, Haidt argues that intuitions come before reasons in arguments about moral issues, and that our social natures means that it is next to impossible to persuade someone under conditions of group competition (such as the current conditions of US politics).

Haidt isn’t saying that we can’t persuade other people about in arguments about moral issues, just that reason and argument are less important than group membership and intuition. I like to see a silver lining on his warning that productive debate is impossible across social divides. Yes, if two groups view each other as the enemy you won't see enlightening discussion, but it also means that there are conditions in which reason can be fostered. Haidt's analysis gives us justification for paying attention to the things that make people comfortable with each other. Wanting mutual respect between groups with different opinions on an issue isn't just an empty nicety - it's an evidence-based precondition for effective discussion.

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