Think about thinking

It’s time to address the fear of mathematics and literary classics

HUMANS ARE PROUD of the fact that only we, among all living beings, have the ability to engage in higher- level thinking — “cogito, ergo sum”, or, “I think, therefore I am”. Our ability to entertain complex thoughts does not merely characterise us. It defines us.

This cognitive capacity has stood us in good stead. We have postulated and proved mathematical theorems, we are exploring the cosmos, we have developed relativistic and quantum physics, we have written epics, we have refined the art of lying and deception, and of course, we read Tractatus LogicoPhilosophicus. Mathematics, philosophy, religion, family, nation, sciences, literature, and the list of our thought- derived innovations goes on and on.

The impressive success of our cognitive faculties, that of a species with thousands of years of near- continuous, accretive history and eight billion plus living members, masks something troubling and humbling. Most humans are quite lousy thinkers, when tested against the benchmarks mentioned. Study after study has revealed that the ability of an average human to comprehend complex arguments leaves a lot to be desired. A distressingly large number of kids proclaim their fear of mathematics because it is “tough”. Many readers choose to read pulp fiction over the literary classics because they are deemed “incomprehensible”. It is understandable that a person does not like mathematics or literary classics, but to fear them for being tough or incomprehensible is also a probable symptom of the lack of cognitive capacity to enjoy them. This widespread cognitive weakness is something to worry about, for it chains a plurality of humans to sub- par intellectual existence with attendant costs.

The costs of poor human cognition are immense. If we have to develop as knowledgedriven societies, we need to improve the human capacity to think coherently. With the increasing technological and organisational complexities of our times, those unable to think properly about the issues confronting them are at the risk of being left behind. Cognitive weakness has serious costs for the person concerned, with respect to that person’s ability to gainfully participate in the modern socio- economic system. Further, poor human cognition has a huge negative externality, that is, a cost not fully internalised by the person having poor cognition. Society loses out in many ways. Public discourse deteriorates when complex issues, requiring cognitively demanding public deliberation, are not given the careful thought they require. Heuristics, cognitive biases, etc., in unexamined, sub- conscious thinking lead to the prevalence of social stereotypes and prejudices. Lower cognitive capacities create a ready marketplace for simplistic, inappropriate solutions to complex problems, to the detriment of everyone.

Another issue that merits attention is that earlier epochs were less driven by mental faculties than is the case today. The Industrial Revolution reduced the need for human muscle power and we saw tremendous expansion of universalised elementary education around the world. Humans increasingly moved from using brawn to brain. Today, we have the age of Artificial Intelligence dawning upon us. If AI succeeds in fulfilling even a fraction of its promise today, most of the lower- level thinking would move to AI entities. Therefore, humans can find employment and maintain their sense of self- worth only if they can engage in higher- order thinking, and to do so, humans will have to develop the faculties for higher- order thinking. In other words, the time is now ripe for the universalisation of higher- level cognitive training.

How do we address the issue? We are already on the job. The modern education system, for all its criticism, has done a remarkable job towards upgrading our intellectual abilities. We are taught literature, mathematics, social and natural sciences, etc., at school and college to strengthen our capacity to think and comprehend properly. However, for most of us who do not move into cognitively demanding academics or professions, schooling is the last formal cognitive training that we get. As already discussed, it is proving quite insufficient for our times.

To ensure the universalisation of higherorder cognitive training, a beginning may be made by introducing “human cognition” as a compulsory subject from class VI onwards. The new subject can be crafted by taking relevant material from psychology, linguistics, anthropology, etc. The aim of the subject of “human cognition” should be to make the students aware of the processes involved in their thinking. This proposed cognitive training is essentially meta- cognition, that is, thinking about thinking. Meta- cognition would allow young students to analyse their thought processes, thereby moving the act of thinking from the subconscious to the conscious realm. Hopefully, they would better understand their own thoughts and the basis of those thoughts. At the same time, such meta- cognition training would also equip them to understand the thoughts of others and the basis of such thoughts. Better understanding and comprehension would enhance the intellectual productivity and empathy of the persons trained in meta- cognition.

Bertrand Russell is credited with saying that — “most people would die sooner than think — in fact, they do so”. Russell made a very significant observation about the common human frailty of poor thinking. The first step in solving a problem is recognising it. It is high time that the problem of deficient human cognition is recognised as a public policy issue, which is adversely impacting economic productivity, social harmony and good governance. Then, we should identify the requisite public policy interventions, one of which has been discussed above, to remedy the same.

Ratna is director, Central Vigilance Commission and Tiwari is an IAS officer