Don't be Fooled

A Philosophy of Common Sense

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy
Cover of the book Don't be Fooled by Jan Bransen, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jan Bransen ISBN: 9781351745413
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: May 8, 2017
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Jan Bransen
ISBN: 9781351745413
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: May 8, 2017
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

In the debate leading up to the EU referendum in the United Kingdom, the British politician Michael Gove declared that "people in this country have had enough of experts". In the 2016 Presidential campaign in the United States, Donald Trump waged a war against the very idea of expertise. Yet if you are worried about your child's behaviour, don't know which laptop to buy, or just want to get fit, the answer is easy: ask an expert.

Where do we draw the line? Why do we appear to know more and more collectively, yet less and less individually? Has expertise painted itself into a corner? Can we defend both science and common sense?

In this engaging and much-needed book Jan Bransen explores these important questions and more. He argues that the rise of behavioural sciences has caused a sea change in the relationship between science and common sense. He shows how - as recently as the 1960s - common sense and science were allies in the battle against ignorance, but that since then populism and chauvinism have claimed common sense as their own. Bransen argues that common sense is a collection of interrelated skills that draw on both an automatic pilot and an investigative attitude where we ask ourselves the right questions. It is the very attitude of open-minded inquiry and questioning that Bransen believes we are at risk of losing in the face of an army of experts.

Drawing on fascinating examples such as language and communication, money, the imaginary world of Endoxa, domestic violence, and quality of life, Don't be Fooled: A Philosophy of Common Sense is a brilliant and wry defence of a skill that is a vital part of being human.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the debate leading up to the EU referendum in the United Kingdom, the British politician Michael Gove declared that "people in this country have had enough of experts". In the 2016 Presidential campaign in the United States, Donald Trump waged a war against the very idea of expertise. Yet if you are worried about your child's behaviour, don't know which laptop to buy, or just want to get fit, the answer is easy: ask an expert.

Where do we draw the line? Why do we appear to know more and more collectively, yet less and less individually? Has expertise painted itself into a corner? Can we defend both science and common sense?

In this engaging and much-needed book Jan Bransen explores these important questions and more. He argues that the rise of behavioural sciences has caused a sea change in the relationship between science and common sense. He shows how - as recently as the 1960s - common sense and science were allies in the battle against ignorance, but that since then populism and chauvinism have claimed common sense as their own. Bransen argues that common sense is a collection of interrelated skills that draw on both an automatic pilot and an investigative attitude where we ask ourselves the right questions. It is the very attitude of open-minded inquiry and questioning that Bransen believes we are at risk of losing in the face of an army of experts.

Drawing on fascinating examples such as language and communication, money, the imaginary world of Endoxa, domestic violence, and quality of life, Don't be Fooled: A Philosophy of Common Sense is a brilliant and wry defence of a skill that is a vital part of being human.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book The Aesthetics of Atmospheres by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Education Reconfigured by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Neutrality in Twentieth-Century Europe by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Anglophone Indian Women Writers, 1870–1920 by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Revisiting Transnational Broadcasting by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Tradition and Transformation in Christian Art by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Provocation in Popular Culture by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Latino Poverty in the New Century by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Object Relations, The Self and the Group by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Writing and Publishing Research in Kinesiology, Health, and Sport Science by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Doing Visual Research with Children and Young People by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Cultivating Moral Character and Virtue in Professional Practice by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Transforming Schools by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book Group Analytic Psychotherapy by Jan Bransen
Cover of the book The Freudians by Jan Bransen
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy