Empiricism is Natural

Abstract

Few questions are as controversial as the origins of knowledge. Chapter 5 demonstrates that laypeople are systematically biased against innate ideas, and that this bias arises from intuitive Dualism and Essentialism. Specifically, if per Dualism, ideas are immaterial, whereas, if per Essentialism, ideas must be material, then it follows that ideas cannot be innate. Experiments 1–4 suggest that people view epistemic traits (i.e., ideas) as less material (e.g., less localized in the brain, in line with Dualism). Experiments 5–8 suggest that traits presented as innate (i.e., essence-defining) are viewed as more material (in line with Essentialism). Finally, Experiments 9 and 10 suggest that the effect of Dualism and Essentialism is causal: when people are presented with evidence of either mind-body Physicalism, generally, or of the materiality of individual traits, specifically, their presumption of innateness increases. These results open the possibility that empiricism is natural: it arises from principles that lie deep within human cognition.

The illusion of the mind–body divide is attenuated in males

“…These results confirm that participants are indeed Empiricist—they selectively deny that knowledge and beliefs are possibly innate 8 , 10 , 72 , 73 . Males, however, are less likely to exhibit this bias than females.…”

“…Past research has shown that innateness intuitions are indeed linked to embodiment intuitions. When presented with evidence that a psychological trait is embodied, participants are more likely to consider that trait as innate (compared to when told that the same trait has no known anchoring in the body) 8 , 10 , 72 .…”

“…This prediction is borne out by two pieces of evidence. First, when neurotypical participants are primed to consider bodies and minds alike (i.e., towards Physicalism), their empiricist stance declines (temporarily) 10 , 72 . The second piece of evidence comes from people with autism—a condition that is known to attenuate ToM 39 , 43 – 53 .…”

“…This is in line with the ethnographic record, demonstrating that beliefs in the afterlife (i.e., disembodied self) and in disembodied supernatural beings (e.g., deities, spirits and ghosts) are prevalent across cultures 25 , 26 . For Western participants, however, intuitive Dualism can be especially detrimental, as it interferes with scientific literacy 10 , 11 , 27 , it promotes stigma (e.g., towards psychiatric patients) 8 , 28 , 29 and biases judgements of criminal justice and moral responsibility 30 – 34 .…”

“…Experiment 3 explores the putative effect of Dualism on another aspect of reasoning—innateness intuitions. Past research suggests that Dualism promotes Empiricism—the belief that psychological traits cannot be innate (due to a Dualism–Essentialism interaction, discussed next) 8 , 10 , 72 , 73 . If males are less Dualist, and Dualism typically begets Empiricism, then males ought to further show weaker Empiricism (see Fig.…”