Dear Dr. Qwerty,
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TITLE: The Evolution of Misbelief
AUTHORS: Ryan T. McKay & Daniel C. Dennett
ABSTRACT: From an evolutionary standpoint, a default presumption is that true beliefs are adaptive
and misbeliefs maladaptive. But if humans are biologically engineered to appraise the world
accurately and to form true beliefs, how are we to explain the routine exceptions to this rule? How
can we account for mistaken beliefs, bizarre delusions and instances of self-deception? We explore
this question in some detail. We begin by articulating a distinction between two general types of
misbelief: those resulting from a breakdown in the normal functioning of the belief formation system
(e.g. delusions) and those arising in the normal course of that systems operations (e.g. beliefs
based on incomplete or inaccurate information). The former are instances of biological dysfunction or
pathology, reflecting culpable limitations of evolutionary design. Although the latter category
includes undesirable (but tolerable) by-products of forgivably limited design, our quarry is a
contentious subclass of this category: misbeliefs best conceived as design features. Such misbeliefs,
unlike occasional lucky falsehoods, would have been systematically adaptive in the evolutionary past.
Such misbeliefs, furthermore, would not be reducible to judicious but doxastically noncommittal -
action policies. Finally, such misbeliefs would have been adaptive in themselves, constituting more
than mere by-products of adaptively biased misbelief-producing systems. We explore a range of
potential candidates for evolved misbelief, and conclude that, of those surveyed, only positive
illusions meet our criteria.
KEYWORDS: Adaptive, Belief, Delusions, Design, Evolution, Misbelief, Positive illusions, Religion,
Self-deception.
FULL TEXT: http://www.bbsonline.org/Preprints/McKay-08262008/Referees/
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Behavioral and Brain Sciences
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Kedves Kollégák,
A BME Kognitív Tudományi Tanszék szeretettel vár mindenkit ünnepi
doktori konferenciájára:
Június 29-30, hétfő-kedd, 10:00-16:00, BME Oktatói klub, K ép.,I. em.,
66-os terem.
Előadnak a doktori iskola hallgatói. Az előadások nyelve angol.
*Program és bővebb info:*
http://cogsci.bme.hu/Esem.php?esemIndex=83
Dear Colleagues,
The BME Department of Cognitive Sciences invites you to a Psychology
Doctoral Conference Celebrating the 5th year of the Psychology PhD
school at BME, Department of Cognitive Science:
Monday-Tuesday, 29-30 June, 10:00-16:00, BME Oktatói klub, K ép.,
1stfloor, room 66.
Presentations are in English, presenters are the PhD Students of the
department.
*Program & more information:*
http://cogsci.bme.hu/Esem.php?esemIndex=83
--
Ferenc Kemény
PhD Student
Budapest University of Technology and Economics,
Department of Cognitive Science,
Stoczek u. 2,
Budapest,
1111, Hungary
Tel & Fax: +36 1 4631072
The next talk in the Cognitive Development Center seminar series at
the CEU will be given by
Richard Aslin (Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Rochester)
Title:
Statistical learning and rule learning in infants and adults: From
exemplars to categories
Date and time:
Wednesday, 24 June 2009, 5.00 pm
CEU Cognitive Development Center
Hattyuhaz, Level 3, Hattyu u. 14., 1015 Budapest
Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1015+Budapest,+Budapest,+Hattyu+utca+14,+Hung…
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Our seminars start on time and we may not be able to let latecomers in.
---
Gergely Csibra
The Department of Philosophy at CEU cordially invites you to a
conference on the philosophy of Gary Watson entitled
Actions, Reasons, and Desires: Gary Watson on Freedom and Agency
All talks will be held in the Philosophy Seminar Room (CEU Zrinyi u.
14, r. 412)
June 22
10:00
Gary Watson (University of Southern California, Los Angeles), "The
Trouble with Psychopats"
11:30
Ferenc Huoranszki (Central European University), "Weakness and
Compulsion: The Essential Difference"
Lunch break
15:00
Annemarie Kalis (Utrecht University), "Evaluation and Motivation: The
Case of Choosing the Bad"
19:30
Conference Dinner
June 23
10:00
Olli Koistinen (University of Turku), "Watson on Freedom and Real
Agency"
11:30
Zoltán Wágner(Central European University), "The Will,
Counter-Normative Agency and Freedom"
Lunch break
15:00
András Szigeti (Central European University), "Moral Responsibility and
Practical Skepticism"
16:30
Gary Watson: Concluding remarks
Contact Zoltán Wágner (fphwaz01(a)phd.ceu.hu) for further information.
Kriszta Biber
Department Coordinator
Philosophy Department
Tel: 36-1-327-3806
Fax: 36-1-327-3072
E-mail: biberk(a)ceu.hu
The CEU Department of Philosophy cordially invites you to talk
by
Barbara Montero (CUNY/Staten Island)
on
An Expert Reflects: Conscious Deliberation in the Art of Chess
Friday, 19 June 2009, 3.30 PM, Zrinyi 14 room 412
Abstract:
To gain insight into human nature philosophers often discuss the inferior performance that results from such deficits as blindsight, agnosia, or amnesia. Less often do they look at superior abilities. A notable exception to this is Herbert Dreyfus who has developed a theory of expertise according to which expert action proceeds basically automatically and unreflectively. And this, as he sees it, suggests that our uniquely human freedom to step back and reflect upon our actions is actually rather insignificant to our lives. I question Dreyfus's starting point. Contrary to Dreyfus who argues that "the enemy of expertise is thought," I shall argue that, at least in chess, an expert reflects.
Kriszta Biber
Department Coordinator
Philosophy Department
Tel: 36-1-327-3806
Fax: 36-1-327-3072
E-mail: biberk(a)ceu.hu
MEGHÍVÓ
a Magyar Idegtudományi Társaság
és a
Pázmány Péter Katolikus Egyetem Információs Technológiai Kar
tisztelettel meghívja Önt és munkatársait
Prof. Dr. Iván Bodis-Wollner
Director, Parkinson's Disease and Related Disorders Clinic, Center of
Excellence
Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology
State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center
Brooklyn, NY
Egocentric and retinotopic coordinates in the visual cortex:
voluntary saccades, fMRI and gamma EEG
címû elõadására
Az elõadás idõpontja: 2009. június 19. (péntek) 11 óra
Az elõadás helye: Pázmány Péter Katolikus Egyetem Információs Technológiai
Kar
Budapest VIII. Práter u. 50/a., Neumann elõadóterem
_______________________________________________
Ganglion mailing list
Ganglion(a)koki.hu
http://mailman.koki.hu/mailman/listinfo/ganglion
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 26 May 2009 14:25:43 -0400
From: Origins of language - contact <summer10.isc(a)uqam.ca>
To: harnad(a)ecs.soton.ac.uk
Subject: Summer Institute on the Origins of language - Institut d'été sur
l'origine du langage
The Cognitive Science Institute of the Université du Québec à Montréal is
pleased to announce the program of its third Summer Institute which will
bear on the Origins of language. The Institute will be held at
UQAM,Montreal, Canada, June 21st to June 30th. The program is on the web
site of the Summer Institute at the following address:
http://www.summer10.isc.uqam.ca/
L'Institut des sciences cognitives de l'Université du Québec à Montréal est
heureux d'annoncer le programme de son troisième Institut d'été qui portera
sur l'origine du langage. L'Institut se tiendra à l'UQAM, Montréal,
Canada, du 21 au 30 juin 2010. Le programme se trouve sur le site de
l'Institut d'été à l'adresse suivante:
http://www.summer10.isc.uqam.ca/
The next talk in the Cognitive Development Center seminar series at
the CEU will be given by
Victoria Southgate (Psychology, Birkbeck, London)
Title:
Predicting actions and outcomes in infancy
Date and time:
Wednesday, 10 June 2009, 5.00 pm
CEU Cognitive Development Center
Hattyuhaz, Level 3, Hattyu u. 14., 1015 Budapest
Map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1015+Budapest,+Budapest,+Hattyu+utca+14,+Hung…
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Our seminars start on time and we may not be able to let latecomers in.
---
Gergely Csibra
Kedves Kollegak,
Az alabbi munkalehetoseget ajanlom figyelmukbe.
Udvozlettel,
Negyessy Laszlo
feladó
Anna Wang Roe <anna.roe(a)vanderbilt.edu>
címzett
László Négyessy <negyessy(a)ana.sote.hu>
dátum
2009. június 5. 21:49
NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship in sensory (vision, touch) systems
neuroscience.
Seeking a postdoctoral fellow to conduct optical imaging, fMRI, and
electrophysiology in awake nonhuman primates performing perception,
attention, and memory tasks. Scientific questions focus on relationship of
visual and tactile sensorimotor behaviors to functional modules in cerebral
cortex. The competitive candidate will have strong background and research
experience in systems neuroscience, in vivo electrophysiological recording,
and strong quantitative skills. Experience with optical imaging
methodologies and Matlab are a plus. For publications and information about
lab members, please see http://www.psy.vanderbilt.edu/
<http://www.psy.vanderbilt.edu/faculty/roeaw/index.html>
faculty/roeaw/index.html.
The Roe Lab is part of a vibrant systems neuroscience community at
Vanderbilt University. As part of the Department of Psychology
(www.vanderbilt.edu/ <http://www.vanderbilt.edu/psychological_sciences>
psychological_sciences), Vanderbilt Vision Research Center
(http://vision-research. <http://vision-research.vanderbilt.edu/>
vanderbilt.edu/), the Center for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience
(http://cicn.vanderbilt.edu/), and the Vanderbilt Imaging Institute
(http://vuiis.vanderbilt.edu/), we offer state-of-the-art imaging and brain
recording technologies, excellent animal facilities, machine shop resources,
and administrative support. Weekly seminar series feature both local and
international speakers and ensure a high degree of departmental and
campus-wide interaction.
Salary commensurate with experience and will be determined according to NIH
guidelines. Please email curriculum vitae, a brief statement of research
interests, and names of three references to Anna Roe
(anna.roe(a)vanderbilt.edu).
Laszlo Negyessy
Neurobionics Research Group,
Hungarian Academy of Sciences -
Peter Pazmany Catholic University - Semmelweis University
Tuzolto u. 58
H-1094 Budapest
Hungary
Tel.: +36-12156920 ext. 53712
Fax: +36-12176937
E-mail: negyessy(a)ana.sote.hu,
negyessy(a)gmail.com