Response to Elizabeth Kolbert, psychologist, in her New Yorker article Feb, 2017.
Posted: January 9, 2018 Filed under: Other, responses | Tags: alternative facts, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, cultural history, culture, Elizabeth Kolbert, Kellyanne Conway, New Yorker, psychology, Sloman and Fernbach, sociology, Steve Bannion Leave a comment“The Enigma of Reason,” “The Knowledge Illusion,” and “Denying to the Grave” were all written (Elizabeth Kolbert), before the November election. And yet they anticipate Kellyanne Conway and the rise of “alternative facts.” These days, it can feel as if the entire country has been given over to a vast psychological experiment being run either by no one or by Steve Bannon (emphais ed.). Rational agents would be able to think their way to a solution. But, on this matter, the literature is not reassuring. ♦
“This is how a community of knowledge (emphasis ed.) can become dangerous,” Sloman and Fernbach observe.
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My response to Ms Kolbert:
Do you not see that this thought takes your discussion dangerously close to sociology and culture and sliding away from psychology? (“vast psychological experiment”) It sounds like you do but how is the ‘academic psychology community’ taking this?
Conspiracy theory accusations are growing, version 2
Posted: April 24, 2017 Filed under: Letters | Tags: "Hit and Run", Afghanistan, alternative facts, climate change, climate denialism, climate disruption, conspiracy theory, Donald Trump, facts, fear, jon stephenson, Nicky Hager Leave a commentThe Editor, The Listener, Private Bag 92512, Wellesley St., Auckland 1141
18 April, 2017
Dear Editor,
Attempts to denigrate critics with the accusation of ‘conspiracy theory’ are growing. Not that it is an unknown tactic; in fact it is time honoured. Read the rest of this entry »
Accusations of ‘conspiracy theory’ are growing
Posted: April 20, 2017 Filed under: Letters | Tags: "Hit and Run", alternative facts, climate change, climate denialism, climate disruption, conspiracy theory, Donald Trump, fear, jon stephenson, Nicky Hager, NZSAS Leave a commentThe Editor, The Listener,
Private Bag 92512, Wellesley St.
Auckland 1141
15 April, 2017
Dear Editor,
Attempts to denigrate critics with the accusation of ‘conspiracy theory’ are growing. Not that it is an unknown tactic; in fact it is time honoured. Read the rest of this entry »
Attempts to denigrate critics with the accusation of ‘conspiracy theory’ are growing.
Posted: March 31, 2017 Filed under: Letters | Tags: alternative facts, conspiracy theory, facts, fear, John Stephensen, New Zealand Special Air Service, Nicky Hager, NZSAS, Paula Bennett, Wayne Mapp Leave a commentThe Editor, The Dominion Post, Wellington
23 March, 2017
Dear editor,
Attempts to denigrate critics with the accusation of ‘conspiracy theory’ are growing. Read the rest of this entry »
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