IVAN PHILLIPS

A primer on rational thinking... and a plan for teaching it in schoolsWe all want to be the rational parent, the rational consumer, and the rational voter. So why is it that so few of us can readily define what it means to think rationally?In this timely and inspiring book, Ivan Phillips argues that irrationality is rampant because we have never taught the key principles of rational thinking in schools.In concise and accessible writing, Textbook Rationality explains How to distinguish rational thinking the from irrational and non-rational thinking Why rationality and critical thinking are not the same thing How to use Bayesian reasoning to decide what is true How to anticipate cognitive bias and employ countermeasures How to squeeze a course on rationality into a high school curriculum

Humans were not designed...Evolution is widely accepted, yet many still cling to the possibility that humans were divinely intended and that evolution was merely the creators means of manufacture.In Probability and Purpose, Phillips argues that the theory of a creator who uses evolution is highly fine-tuned, and is therefore implausible. With clear and accessible reasoning, Phillips explains how unguided evolution, with its narrow predictions, all but disproves the concept of a divine blueprint.Whether youre a curious thinker, a student of evolutionary theory, or someone engaged in philosophical inquiry, this book offers a thought-provoking perspective on the conflict between evolution and design.About the AuthorIvan Phillips earned a doctorate in theoretical physics from Northwestern University. He is the author of Textbook Rationality and is a frequent speaker on the topic of rational thinking.