Accepting Quote by Michael Shermer
“People have a hard time accepting free-market economics for the same reason they have a hard time accepting evolution: it is counterintuitive. Life looks intelligently designed, so our natural inclination is to infer that there must be an intelligent designer--a God. Similarly, the economy looks designed, so our natural inclination is to infer that we need a designer--a government. In fact, emergence and complexity theory explains how the principles of self-organization and emergence cause complex systems to arise from simple systems without a top-down designer.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Talk at the Center for Inquiry, 2015
People reject free-market ideas because they intuitively expect a designer, similar to rejecting evolution; complexity theory offers a non‑designer explanation.
In simple terms: We favor explanations with a clear designer, making market concepts seem unnatural.
Key Takeaway
Recognize intuition bias and consider emergent explanations.
Themes
cognitive bias
economics
science
philosophy
Mood
analytical
skeptical
Type
educational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- policy debates
- education
- public discourse
- personal decision making
Key Concepts
self‑organization
emergence
complexity theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does intuition shape economic beliefs?
- What role does complexity theory play in public understanding?
A Different Perspective
Intuition can be hard to override even with evidence.
