Bertrand Russell:A Severe Hurdle to Critical Thinking

Posted in September 20, 2009 ¬ 6:54 amh.M. Neil Browne3 Comments »

Bertrand Russell:  What humans most need is a will to doubt.

William James had famously said many years earlier that what humans most need is a will to believe. But surely the vast majority of our experiences should tell us that humans are best described, in  Jerome Bruner’s words as “homo credens,” the believing person.

To the extent that this portrayal is the raw material with which we must struggle, learning critical thinking is an uphill struggle.  Whether from an affiliative urge, deep insecurities that cause us to yearn for acceptance, or some other adaptive pattern, we approach doubt with shields at ready.  Seeing doubt as the launching pad for growth is our challenge.

Quotations

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