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Podcast #300: The Modular Mind

Managing Editor Iona Italia talks to evolutionary psychologist Rob Kurzban about his book 'Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind.'

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Quillette
Aug 31, 2025
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Introduction: I’m your host this week, Iona Italia. My guest today is evolutionary psychologist Rob Kurzban. I’ll be talking to him about his book Why Everyone (Else) Is a Hypocrite: Evolution and the Modular Mind. Rob and I discuss the social payoffs of ignorance and false beliefs, why the concepts of self-esteem and willpower are deeply flawed, what explains some of the contradictory impulses and inconsistent behaviours people exhibit and why we don’t have a little man in our head. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Rob Kurzban.

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