An item in the January Scientific American reports on a study published in _Science _that shows that chimpanzees can adjust their beliefs when additional evidence demands it. This had long been considered an exclusively human ability. One of the study’s authors suggests that what distinguishes humans from other animals is that we sharpen our beliefs through discussion. The item also says some cognitive scientists think our reasoning skills evolved so that we could argue with one another.
On 1/31/2026 at 8:51 PM, Doug Morris said:
chimpanzees can adjust their beliefs when additional evidence demands it. This had long been considered an exclusively human ability.
No way! That would put the chimpanzees ahead of some of the people here!
On 1/31/2026 at 8:51 PM, Doug Morris said:
One of the study’s authors suggests that what distinguishes humans from other animals is that we sharpen our beliefs through discussion.
But not experimentation? Hmmm…
On 1/31/2026 at 8:51 PM, Doug Morris said:
The item also says some cognitive scientists think our reasoning skills evolved so that we could argue with one another.
This sort of ties into the (false) idea that truth is “socially constructed” and echoes John Dewey and Schopenhauer. (John Dewey was a Pragmatist and I suspect Schopenhauer was a philosophical Romanticist of the kind that Leonard Peikoff wrote about in The Ominous Parallels. Philosophical Romanticism, by the way, is distinct from the Romantic school in art, exemplified by Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and Ayn Rand.)
I used to subscribe to Scientific American in the late 1980s, but at one point there was a change of editorial staff and after that it seemed to become more concerned with politics and less with figuring out the nature of reality. I suspect it is still centered around politics (although the particular article you are citing is not enough by itself to show this).
19 hours ago, necrovore said:
But not experimentation? Hmmm…
Non-human animals might do some experimentation, but do they do any discussing?
19 hours ago, necrovore said:
This sort of ties into the (false) idea that truth is “socially constructed”
People might discuss either in a misguided attempt to “socially construct truth” or in an attempt to help themselves or others bring their beliefs closer to reality.
19 hours ago, necrovore said:
I suspect it is still centered around politics
Some of the material is still scientific and not political. Almost everything in modern civilization is contaminated by bad philosophy; all we can do is try to pick out the good from the bad.
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