What should you believe?
with Dr. Susanna Rinard, Professor of Philosophy, Harvard
show notes
Is it ever rational to believe something the evidence doesn't support?
Harvard philosopher Dr. Susanna Rinard is best known for arguing that the question "what should I believe?" should be answered the same way as "what should I do?": by weighing the consequences. It's a view that sounds like a licence for wishful thinking. We spent the first half of this conversation trying to break it, from Santa Claus and placebo surgery to motivated reasoning and Pascal's Wager, and came away surprised by how rarely it lets you off the hook.
The second half turns to her Harvard course on happiness: why it began alone in the woods on her 30th birthday, why sacrifice fulfills where pleasure doesn't, why so many high-achievers stay miserable, and whether the modern meaning crisis is actually a hopeful sign.