Figs in Winter
Mar 26, 2024

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Thanks for your comments. Yes, I certainly don't claim that the concept of living in accordance with nature doesn't require (a lot!) of unpacking.

That said, a few points. First, I don't draw any sharp distinction between scientific and ethical questions, and neither did the Stoics. They thought we need to understand the world (science) in order to live a good life (ethics).

Second, I'm not so sure we have compelling evidence that cognitive biases evolved by natural selection. They may be byproducts of brain functions, for instance. In general it is very difficult to establish that a human behavior evolved for adaptive reasons, since we don't have access to the relevant data.

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Figs in Winter
Figs in Winter

Written by Figs in Winter

by Massimo Pigliucci, a scientist, philosopher, and Professor at the City College of New York. Exploring and practicing Stoicism & other philosophies of life.

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