#826 Eric Funkhouser: The Signaling Functions of Beliefs, and Self-Deception

<p>------------------Support the channel------------</p> <p>Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter">https://www.patreon.com/thedissenter</a></p> <p><a href="">PayPal: paypal.me/thedissenter</a></p> <p>PayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuy">https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuy</a></p> <p>PayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l">https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9l</a></p> <p>PayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz">https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpz</a></p> <p>PayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m">https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9m</a></p> <p>PayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: <a href="https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao">https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao</a></p> <p> </p> <p>------------------Follow me on---------------------</p> <p>Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/</p> <p>Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT">https://twitter.com/TheDissenterYT</a></p> <p> </p> <p>This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning &amp; Development done differently. Check the website here: <a href="http://enlites.com/">http://enlites.com/</a></p> <p> </p> <p>Dr. Eric Funkhouser is Professor and Departmental Chair of Philosophy at the University of Arkansas. His main areas of research are in the philosophy of psychology/mind and metaphysics. He is currently working on a series of papers concerning how social forces shape the functions of belief and other mental states. This work should culminate in a book, The Signaling Mind: Belief as Social Manipulation. In this manuscript, he argues that many beliefs serve a signaling function—much like animal signals used to manipulate other animals—that explains various irrational and dangerous beliefs, cognitive biases, as well as pro-social beliefs.</p> <p> </p> <p>In this episode, we talk about beliefs, and self-deception. We first discuss what beliefs are, if they are always conscious, and how we study them. We talk about how to interpret incongruencies between belief and