Intellectual ideas that everyone should know
Scott Young's article " What are the Intellectual Ideas Everybody Should Know? "
Most academic concepts have an obvious narrow application. You can draw analogies between different areas of knowledge, but these docks usually rely on the fact that you understand both sides of the metaphor to a sufficient degree.
Consider the Fresnel equation in physics. With some effort, you can build an analogy between this equation and any other area of ​​knowledge. But one can hardly say that understanding the equation leads to turbulent insights in the field of history or art.
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However, among ideas with weak interconnections there are rare ideas that may seem to shed light on much more, beyond what they were meant to explain.
The problem, of course, is that academic issues are usually dealt with independently of each other. Each specialty studies the paradigms and tools of its industry and borrows from other schools only those ideas that directly correspond to the subject of study. The norm is narrow specialization, not general scientific thinking.
From this position, I put the following question: what intellectual ideas that can be widely applied in the knowledge of the world, assimilated by you?
We start the discussion, I throw in my own set of ideas that everyone should know.
This is an idea about which everyone has his own opinion, but only a few truly understand. However, once understood, this analogy is powerful enough to explain how complex systems evolve and change over time. Languages, enterprises, technologies, social norms, diets - this is not a complete list of areas whose mechanism is borrowed from biological evolution.
Here are some resources that I recommend, demonstrating the breadth of the idea:
- The Selfish Gene (Selfish Gene)
- The Red Queen (Red Queen)
- The Language Instinct (Language as Instinct)
- Why do beautiful people have more daughters? (Why do beautiful people have more daughters?)
The Bayes Rule is described as a universal mystery. This is a simple mathematical formula that helps calculate the probability of an event. At first glance, just a formula that can be remembered, applied on the exam and immediately forgotten. But it is worth looking deeper, as it becomes clear: this formula is no more and no less the basis of all rational thinking.
The best introduction to Bayes' rule is Eliezer’s “ Intuitive explanation of Bayes theorem, ” but keep in mind that it can take years to become aware of the consequences of this piece of mathematics.
In 1776, Adam Smith wrote A Study on the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations , which later became the basis of modern economic theory. He laid the foundations of the theory of how our material existence is guided and improved through unconscious forces.
The idea of ​​efficient markets is controversial, if only because in many cases the forces of which Smith speaks are able to stop working. But this does not make the idea less convincing as an explanatory concept. Classical mechanics do not become useless for explaining motion only because we rarely observe perfect spheres on the plane and in the absence of friction.
Some resources:
- The Wealth of Nations (Study on the nature and causes of the wealth of nations)
- MIT Course in Microeconomics
- Economics in One Lesson (Economics in one lesson)
Along with evolutionary psychology, the theory of signals is probably the best theory of its kind to explain human behavior. Its main idea is that we take some action not only for the sake of their immediate results, but also for the exchange of information and for misleading those whose information is incomplete.
Game theory is a useful introductory subject, since an understanding of the basics of static and dynamic games, as well as the development of mathematical intuition in this area, make it possible to better see the role that signals play in our everyday life.
Recently, such areas of psychology as prejudice psychology and heuristics, and websites such as LessWrong dedicated to the art of human rationality have become popular . Even if it is just a fashionable topic, it does not diminish its significance. Comprehending the mistakes made by people in reasoning, we are at least aware of our own weaknesses, even if we cannot overcome them.
As a remark: I considered myself well versed in this topic until I read Daniel Kaneman’s book Thinking, Fast and Slow (Thinking fast and slow), which turned even to me a mass of new discoveries. So I highly recommend reading this book, including those who have come across this concept before.
The last concept I chose was this - not because of its universal suitability, but because of how profound its consequences are. In essence, Gödel logically proved that there are things that are true, but never will be proven, or, in another way, there is a truth that we will never know.
If you feel that you are falling into a rabbit hole, I suggest you this book: Gödel's Proof (Gödel Proof).
I have provided my short list, now I want yours. What intellectual idea do you think everyone should know? Additional points for any ideas in areas far from pop psychology or self-development. Please suggest your ideas - along with the arguments why they are so widely applicable - in the comments .
Most academic concepts have an obvious narrow application. You can draw analogies between different areas of knowledge, but these docks usually rely on the fact that you understand both sides of the metaphor to a sufficient degree.
Consider the Fresnel equation in physics. With some effort, you can build an analogy between this equation and any other area of ​​knowledge. But one can hardly say that understanding the equation leads to turbulent insights in the field of history or art.
')
However, among ideas with weak interconnections there are rare ideas that may seem to shed light on much more, beyond what they were meant to explain.
The problem, of course, is that academic issues are usually dealt with independently of each other. Each specialty studies the paradigms and tools of its industry and borrows from other schools only those ideas that directly correspond to the subject of study. The norm is narrow specialization, not general scientific thinking.
From this position, I put the following question: what intellectual ideas that can be widely applied in the knowledge of the world, assimilated by you?
My personal collection of thermonuclear ideas
We start the discussion, I throw in my own set of ideas that everyone should know.
1. Evolution and natural selection
This is an idea about which everyone has his own opinion, but only a few truly understand. However, once understood, this analogy is powerful enough to explain how complex systems evolve and change over time. Languages, enterprises, technologies, social norms, diets - this is not a complete list of areas whose mechanism is borrowed from biological evolution.
Here are some resources that I recommend, demonstrating the breadth of the idea:
- The Selfish Gene (Selfish Gene)
- The Red Queen (Red Queen)
- The Language Instinct (Language as Instinct)
- Why do beautiful people have more daughters? (Why do beautiful people have more daughters?)
2. Bayes Rule
The Bayes Rule is described as a universal mystery. This is a simple mathematical formula that helps calculate the probability of an event. At first glance, just a formula that can be remembered, applied on the exam and immediately forgotten. But it is worth looking deeper, as it becomes clear: this formula is no more and no less the basis of all rational thinking.
The best introduction to Bayes' rule is Eliezer’s “ Intuitive explanation of Bayes theorem, ” but keep in mind that it can take years to become aware of the consequences of this piece of mathematics.
3. Economic efficiency
In 1776, Adam Smith wrote A Study on the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations , which later became the basis of modern economic theory. He laid the foundations of the theory of how our material existence is guided and improved through unconscious forces.
The idea of ​​efficient markets is controversial, if only because in many cases the forces of which Smith speaks are able to stop working. But this does not make the idea less convincing as an explanatory concept. Classical mechanics do not become useless for explaining motion only because we rarely observe perfect spheres on the plane and in the absence of friction.
Some resources:
- The Wealth of Nations (Study on the nature and causes of the wealth of nations)
- MIT Course in Microeconomics
- Economics in One Lesson (Economics in one lesson)
4. Signal Theory and Game Theory
Along with evolutionary psychology, the theory of signals is probably the best theory of its kind to explain human behavior. Its main idea is that we take some action not only for the sake of their immediate results, but also for the exchange of information and for misleading those whose information is incomplete.
Game theory is a useful introductory subject, since an understanding of the basics of static and dynamic games, as well as the development of mathematical intuition in this area, make it possible to better see the role that signals play in our everyday life.
5. Prejudices and Heuristics
Recently, such areas of psychology as prejudice psychology and heuristics, and websites such as LessWrong dedicated to the art of human rationality have become popular . Even if it is just a fashionable topic, it does not diminish its significance. Comprehending the mistakes made by people in reasoning, we are at least aware of our own weaknesses, even if we cannot overcome them.
As a remark: I considered myself well versed in this topic until I read Daniel Kaneman’s book Thinking, Fast and Slow (Thinking fast and slow), which turned even to me a mass of new discoveries. So I highly recommend reading this book, including those who have come across this concept before.
6. Gödel’s incompleteness theorem
The last concept I chose was this - not because of its universal suitability, but because of how profound its consequences are. In essence, Gödel logically proved that there are things that are true, but never will be proven, or, in another way, there is a truth that we will never know.
If you feel that you are falling into a rabbit hole, I suggest you this book: Gödel's Proof (Gödel Proof).
Now you
I have provided my short list, now I want yours. What intellectual idea do you think everyone should know? Additional points for any ideas in areas far from pop psychology or self-development. Please suggest your ideas - along with the arguments why they are so widely applicable - in the comments .
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/171167/
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