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Curating the richness of cognitive niches
pp. 97-110
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the curation of cognitive niches understood as the curation of eco-cognitive chances: as chances can be faked, it seems intuitive to think that the inhibition of chance-faking contexts is a good activity of chance curation. Yet, could this activity sometimes be counterproductive? The question will be answered positively considering the case of bullshit as a case of fake chances, but also as a fertile ground for learning and developing intuitions. Ultimately, this chapter will argue that the peculiar context, that is the cognitive niche supporting the (potentially) fake chances, is the discriminating factor: indeed, a rich cognitive niche may benefit from certain kind of fake chances—which should therefore not be inhibited—whereas a poorer niche might not benefit from this situation, and therefore the preclusion of fake chances is an act of chance curation in those contexts.
Publication details
Published in:
Bertolotti Tommaso (2015) Patterns of rationality: recurring inferences in science, social cognition and religious thinking. Dordrecht, Springer.
Pages: 97-110
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-17786-1_6
Full citation:
Bertolotti Tommaso (2015) Curating the richness of cognitive niches, In: Patterns of rationality, Dordrecht, Springer, 97–110.