5 Jul 2019
Have Collective Beliefs Disappeared?
Session 2
Knowledge progress and unfettered access to information should enhance a reasoned or even rational perception of society and the economy. Thus, it should lead to a decline of collective beliefs, i.e. misconceptions and erroneous representations that are deemed true despite empirical evidence showing the contrary. But on cognitive markets, where representations of the state of the world are shaped, have those collective beliefs disappeared? It is dubious.
From an economic and social perspective, examples of denial remain numerous, from an overstatement of the effects of immigration and its effects on unemployment to the erroneous belief that living standards of the poorest never cease to progress in France. Where do those beliefs come from? How does this denial of reality feed the rhetoric of decline and insecurity, which are sources of political and social conflicts, as well as bring about religious fanaticism or populisms? This session will aim at reflecting on the origins and the dynamics of collective beliefs, as well as evaluating its effects of growth.
Contributions
Session 2 – Have Collective Beliefs Disappeared ?
The advances in knowledge and the increasing access to information should contribute to a more rational perception of society and economy. And thus, lead towards the disappearance of collective faiths, false ideas, erroneous representations of realty but considered as true in spite of the empirical obvious fact. But on the cognitive markets, where build up themselves the representations of the state of the world, did these collective faiths disappear? It is doubtful.
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