Thanks for this philosophical explanation I didn't know. But sorry, I'm not buying them. As you pointed out, Germany had at the dawn of 20th century the most advanced philosophy (with science and industry). All this intelligence didn't prevent Nazism.

I consider myself as a neurophilosopher and I think it makes a huge difference when the reasoning starts on reliable foundations supported by science.

Neuroscience can explain why stupidity is more common than intelligence. Usual or traditional philosophy lays on the idea that humans are rational, unlike animals that are mainly driven by emotions. But that's wrong. We are at first emotional animals, and emotions come before rationality . Reason is a mix of pseudo conscious thought led by unconscious emotions.

When you adopt this perspective, you can explain stupidity on a scientific basis. Stupid people are driven by their emotions. We could say they are too emotional. Still, it doesn't explain why there is a difference between smart and stupid people.

In neuroscience there is a growing field called Radical Embodiment Neuroscience (REN) which state that our bodies take a huge part in our reasoning. As a yogi, I pretend that emotions take over rational thinking when the body is too weak to bear and identify emotions.

For sure, this is a simplistic global view of the situation. However, our societies have favored weakness. We completely forgot the importance to have a healthy body, our animal part. Yoga and physical exercises helps oneself to build strong and flexible body.

As B.K.S Iyengar said: "The mind is the general, and the body its army". I usually complete it with: "The best general is doomed, if its army is inefficient."

I commented because I'd like to have your opinion on this neuro outlook. Thanks for reading it.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00237/full