A Pragmatist Perspective on Brains, Trust, and Choice


 Human beings evolved in small groups. Social trust was and is, according to Jay Schulkin, a critical feature in getting a foothold in the world. Social trust is fundamental for our viability in our democracy. It is frail. Tribes dominate, truth-telling is marginalized by partisan interests. Pragmatism is rooted in democratic adventures and self-corrective inquiry with civic sensibility. Freedom, Schulkin suggests, is about choice, but limiting choice is an important factor in the organization of action and our viability in democratic ventures.