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In the realm of human evolution, decision-making has been shaped by a delicate balance between instinct and reason. This balance, according to evolutionary psychology, has favored the present moment, pushing humans to make decisions through education and culture [1].
Our survival, it seems, is rooted in a form of rationality that is pragmatic and limited. Irrationality, in this context, has played a crucial role, enabling us to navigate the complexities of our ancestral environments where quick responses were often essential [1].
Humans, by nature, are dualists and animists. We attribute purposes and intentions to things, even when none exist, and imagine hidden motives and conspiracies where there are none [1]. This tendency, while seemingly irrational, has helped us avoid dangers and exploit immediate opportunities.
Both our instinctive and reflective systems have played a fundamental role in our evolution. The first system, governing quick, automatic responses, is primarily connected to the amygdala, cerebellum, and basal ganglia [2]. The second system, a relatively recent evolutionary development, is primarily connected to the prefrontal cortex and governs deliberate actions based on careful evaluation of contextual information [2].
The deliberative system is based on data provided by the reflex system, which is not always reliable. This neurological setup explains why impulsivity persists despite recognized benefits of patience—our brain wiring still prioritizes immediacy shaped by evolutionary pressures rather than fully rational cost-benefit calculations [1].
Impulsivity, as it turns out, correlates with specific brain structures. For example, lower gray matter volume in areas like the cerebellum and orbitofrontal cortex relates to decreased impulse control [1].
Despite our tendency towards impulsive behavior, there is an antidote to falling back into "inhumanism", as Telmo Pievani suggests. This antidote is critical and self-critical rationalism [1].
However, humans are not just prone to impulsive decisions. We also struggle with self-deception, blaming others for mistakes, rationalizing after the fact, and making impulsive choices that could yield better rewards with patience [1].
Moreover, humans lack true foresight, a trait many recognize when they delay starting a diet despite knowing they should [1]. This evolutionary legacy means humans are wired for rapid judgments, often sacrificing optimal patience and deliberation for speed.
In the modern context, where delayed rewards are often more beneficial, these impulsive behaviors can lead to harm. For instance, heuristic biases, attributing intentions where none exist, and snap judgments that helped our ancestors in avoiding dangers or exploiting immediate opportunities may seem irrational in today's world [2].
Human memory is good at spotting patterns but is short, selective, and unreliable, especially online where repeated exposure to a claim makes it feel true [2]. This makes us easily manipulable and taken in by charlatans of all kinds.
Bill Hamilton referred to the nonadaptive strategy of malevolence, which is harming others without any form of benefit to oneself, as a uniquely human behavior [1]. Despite this, humans are willing to endure ridicule to cling to irrational beliefs, even when those beliefs do not make logical sense [1].
In conclusion, our evolutionary past has equipped us with an adaptive, contextual form of reasoning that is neither logical nor probabilistic, but good enough to keep us alive [1]. Understanding this evolutionary legacy can help us navigate our modern world more effectively, fostering a critical and self-critical rationalism that serves as the only true antidote to "inhumanism".
References: [1] Pievani, Telmo. "The Antidote to Inhumanism: Critical and Self-Critical Rationalism." Aeon, 2018, https://aeon.co/essays/the-antidote-to-inhumanism-is-critical-and-self-critical-rationalism. [2] Gigerenzer, Gerd. "Rationality: An Evolutionary Analysis." The Oxford Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology, 2006, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199277923.013.0010.
In the modern world, our irrational tendencies, such as heuristic biases and attributing intentions where none exist, which were adaptive in our ancestral environments, can lead to harm [2]. To counteract these tendencies and navigate our modern world more effectively, a critical and self-critical rationalism, as suggested by Telmo Pievani, may serve as the antidote to "inhumanism" [1]. Additionally, mental health, including the management of impulsivity and self-deception, is crucial for health-and-wellness in today's context, given our evolutionary legacy of making decisions based on quick responses rather than fully rational cost-benefit calculations [1].
