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Reason Evolved Not to Help Us Make Better Decisions, But to Help Us Win Arguments
The case for the argumentative theory of reason, as made by The Office
“Mmm…kind of an oaky afterbirth.”
— Michael Scott, referring to a bottle of red wine in “Dinner Party”
“Dinner Party” — one of the best, albeit cringiest, episodes of The Office — finds Jim and Pam tricked into a dinner party at Michael and Jan’s condo.
The whole episode is worth watching, but for the sake of this essay, I’m going to focus on one scene. (Note that prior knowledge of The Office is not necessary to read this essay, though ardent fans will be more familiar with the scene in question. That said, if you want to watch it, I’ve linked to it below. The scene in question starts at 2:10.)
An hour or so into the party, after an unimaginably awkward tour of the apartment, the cameras capture Jim in the bathroom.
“Michael and Jan seem to be playing their own separate game,” he begins, “And it’s…
