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When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People

How Philosophy Can Save Us from Ourselves
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( 156 ratings, 34 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People explores the surge of irrational beliefs affecting society today, from conspiracy theories to harmful misinformation. Authors Steven Nadler and Lawrence Shapiro demonstrate how philosophyβ€”through logic, argument, evidence, and probabilityβ€”offers vital tools to identify and counteract flawed reasoning. The book delves into epistemology and ethics, showing how understanding belief, knowledge, and moral principles can help individuals become more rational and responsible citizens in an age of misinformation and divisiveness.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is well suited for readers interested in philosophy, critical thinking, and social issues. It will appeal to those seeking practical guidance for navigating misinformation and developing more reasoned perspectives on contemporary challenges.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Why the tools of philosophy offer a powerful antidote to today's epidemic of irrationality

There is an epidemic of bad thinking in the world today. An alarming number of people are embracing crazy, even dangerous ideas. They believe that vaccinations cause autism. They reject the scientific consensus on climate change as a "hoax." And they blame the spread of COVID-19 on the 5G network or a Chinese cabal. Worse, bad thinking drives bad actingβ€”it even inspired a mob to storm the U.S. Capitol. In this book, Steven Nadler and Lawrence Shapiro argue that the best antidote for bad thinking is the wisdom, insights, and practical skills of philosophy. When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People provides an engaging tour through the basic principles of logic, argument, evidence, and probability that can make all of us more reasonable and responsible citizens.

When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People shows how we can more readily spot and avoid flawed arguments and unreliable information; determine whether evidence supports or contradicts an idea; distinguish between merely believing something and knowing it; and much more. In doing so, the book reveals how epistemology, which addresses the nature of belief and knowledge, and ethics, the study of moral principles that should govern our behaviour, can reduce bad thinking. Moreover, the book shows why philosophy's millennia-old advice about how to lead a good, rational, and examined life is essential for escaping our current predicament.

In a world in which irrationality has exploded to deadly effect, When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People is a timely and essential guide for a return to reason.

Series: Princeton ANZ Paperbacks

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  • When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People
    Why the tools of philosophy offer a powerful antidote to today's epidemic of irrationality There is an epidemic of bad thinking in the world today. An alarming number of people are embracing crazy, even dangerous ideas. They believe that vaccinations cause autism. They reject the scientific consensus on climate change as a "hoax." And they blame the spread of COVID-19...
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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780691232942

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 31 August 2021

Country: United States

Imprint: Princeton University Press

Illustration: 1 b/w illus.

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 240

About the Author

Steven Nadler is Vilas Research Professor and the William H. Hay II Professor of Philosophy at the University of WisconsinMadison. His books include Think Least of Death: Spinoza on How to Live and How to Die (Princeton). Lawrence Shapiro is the Berent Enc Professor of Philosophy at the University of WisconsinMadison. His books include The Miracle Myth: Why Belief in the Resurrection and the Supernatural Is Unjustified

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