Thinking about Social Thinking

by Antony Flew

Rationalizing human behavior is our most compelling pastime. We are all disposed to offer and accept insufficient evidence and invalid arguments when these seem to support conclusions that we merely wish were true. We need to know how to think clearly about our social thinking, how to resist the allure of self-deception how best to choose.

Everyone skeptical about or confused by the findings of the social sciences will appreciate Antony Flew's crisp analysis of the methodological flaws and systematic misunderstandings corrupting their content and application. Thinking About Social Thinking seeks to establish what can and cannot be learned from such studies, indicating where good work has been ignored, or much-needed work has yet to be done. Flew's clear and incisive arguments are illustrated with abundant examples and references many entertaining, others surprising. Flew issues a refreshing, impassioned warning against the perils of complacent, muddled thinking and false but comfortable conclusions.

Genres: Philosophy, Sociology

290 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 1995

About the author

Antony Garrard Newton Flew (11 February 1923 – 8 April 2010) was a British philosopher. Belonging to the analytic and evidentialist schools of thought, he was notable for his works on the philosophy of religion.

Flew was a strong advocate of atheism, arguing that one should presuppose atheism until empirical evidence of a God surfaces. He also criticised the idea of life after death, the free will defence to the problem of evil, and the meaningfulness of the concept of God. In 2003 he was one of the signers of the Humanist Manifesto. However, in 2004 he stated an allegiance to deism, more specifically a belief in the Aristotelian God, stating that in keeping his lifelong commitment to go where the evidence leads, he now believes in the existence of God.

He later wrote the book There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind, with contributions from Roy Abraham Varghese. This book (and Flew's conversion itself) has been the subject of controversy, following an article in the New York Times magazine alleging that Flew had mentally declined, and that Varghese was the primary author. The matter remains contentious, with some commentators including PZ Myers and Richard Carrier supporting the allegations, and others, including Flew himself, opposing them.

Reviews

[Antonio Gallo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pensare il pensiero, noto anche come metacognizione, è la capacità di riflettere sui propri processi di pensiero. Implica la presa di coscienza e la riflessione sui propri processi cognitivi, come l'attenzione, la percezione, la memoria e la risoluzione dei problemi. La metacognizione può essere utile in una varietà di situazioni, come l'apprendimento, la risoluzione dei problemi e il processo decisionale.

Riflettendo sul proprio pensiero, un individuo può acquisire maggiore consapevolezza dei propri punti di forza e di debolezza, nonché sviluppare strategie per migliorare le proprie capacità cognitive. Ad esempio, se si sta cercando di apprendere un nuovo concetto, si potrebbero utilizzare strategie metacognitive come suddividere il materiale in parti più piccole, creare un piano di studio o chiedere aiuto a un insegnante o a un tutor.

Riflettendo su come si sta imparando e su quali strategie funzionano meglio per sé, è possibile migliorare la propria capacità di apprendere e memorizzare nuove informazioni. Nel complesso, la metacognizione è un aspetto importante dell'autoregolazione e può essere uno strumento prezioso per migliorare il funzionamento e le prestazioni cognitive.