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the mechanisms of cultural transmission allow the best thoughts of one generation to be passed on to the generations that follow. Unlike other species, whose cognitive breakthroughs have to be rediscovered anew by every successive generation, we are able build on the cognitive foundations laid down by our ancestors. We inherit not just the contents of their thoughts, but—even more importantly—we also inherit methods for generating, evaluating, and communicating thoughts. Of course, as with any inheritance there is no guarantee that the cognitive tools that we acquire will always be in good working order, but there is little doubt that we gain more from this arrangement than we lose by it.
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Once there was a man of Chu’u selling shields and halberds. In praising his shields he said, ‘My shields are so solid that nothing can penetrate them.’ Again, in praising his halberds, he said, ‘My halberds are so sharp that they can penetrate anything.’ In response to his words somebody asked, ‘How about using your halberds to pierce through your shields?’ To this the man could not give any reply. Han Fei Tzu, 3rd century BCE
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Many people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so. Bertrand Russell
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