The Puzzle of Belief Requires an Evolutionary Key to be Solved
Blancke,Stefaan
Blancke,Stefaan
Abstract
The puzzle of belief arises as currently no definition captures the various ways in which people believe. As a solution to this puzzle and to make the study of belief empirically tractable, Van Leeuwen and Lombrozo suggest acknowledging the plurality of beliefs and organizing beliefs according to their shared functions and traits. However, their proposal does not make yet the distinction between proper and derived functions of beliefâgenerating cognitive systems. For that, we need a theoretical perspective anchored in evolutionary thinking. Such a perspective allows us to recognize the adaptive problems beliefâgenerating cognitive systems solve and what sorts of beliefs they will tend to produce. By analyzing beliefs based on evolutionary considerations, we not only make the puzzle of belief empirically tractable, but also take an important step toward solving it.</jats:p>
Description
Publisher Copyright: Š 2023 Cognitive Science Society LLC.
Date
2023-10
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Volume Title
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Research Projects
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Keywords
Belief, Evolutionary theory, Function, Pluralism, Reputation
Citation
Blancke, S 2023, 'The Puzzle of Belief Requires an Evolutionary Key to be Solved', Cognitive Science, vol. 47, no. 10, e13361. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.13361