Footnote to Plato: Intelligence
So you think you’re smart eh?
So your brain does all this stuff yeah? Problem solving, new ideas, sneaky plans etc. But where did all this come from. Presumably, your brain did not appear magically from Aristotle’s aether, much like everything the team discusses, but if not the aether where?
Yup, you guessed it, Evolution with a capital E! According to John Dewey we can thank out smarts on tension, conflict and trying to adapt to our environment. All the things that make life hard appear to be all the things that have allowed us to become such a brilliant species. However, these days we have come to a point where many of the problems that shaped our evolved brains have long since disappeared. Have we become too smart for our own good? Do we create new problems just for the sake of a challenge. It sure doesn’t feel like it, but just because it’s counter intuitive doesn’t mean it aint true.
Hosts:
Bryan, Aaron and Alistair
Tracks:
The Wombats – Girls and Fast Cars
Broken Social Scene – Forced to Love
Podcast:
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