How and Why We Reason Hugo Mercier (2015)

Hugo Mercier’s central question is: ‘Do we discuss with each other just to be right, or to actually reason with one another?’ Hugo states that we discuss to persuade others and to judge arguments. By listening to what others have to say, we can evaluate our own thoughts and get to know if we or the other one is right, or we can try to persuade the other of his being wrong.

As you constantly interact with each other, you get more arguments, more thoughts, and reflections, and therefore more sophisticated and thought-through results.

Hugo Mercier is researcher at the ‘Cognitive Science Center’ of Neuchâtel University. The majority of his work is dedicated to the function and action of reasoning.

Credit: TEDx Program

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