Learning

Learning is the acquisition of non-refuted knowledge and skills. CF, with CR, treats it as an evolutionary process driven by error-correction.

What learning is

• Not memorisation. Memorisation is one small part.
• Not confidence. Confidence without objective backing is not learning.
• Not accumulation. Adding more ideas doesn't mean learning.
• It is the integration of new ideas with old, surviving criticism, and becoming automatized for routine use.

CR's view

CR says:

• "Knowledge is created by an evolutionary process of guesses and criticism."
• "Learning is driven by the learner, who always does most of the work; you can't pour knowledge into a person like water into a bucket."
• "We should value explanations and solutions to problems."

CF's view

CF adds:

• Practice is the main mechanism. Without practice, ideas don't become skills.
• Integration is the main cognitive operation. New ideas must combine with old ones.
• Cycle prerequisites and CF. "Cycle Between Learning Critical Fallibilism and Its Prerequisites" — you learn CF by doing CF, but you need prerequisites to start.

Learning prerequisites

• Math and language. Temple: "Math and language are prerequisites to philosophy skill. They're building blocks."
• Automatized basics. Until you automatize the basics, you can't think about higher levels.
• Idea trees to organize what you're learning.

"Learning is driven by the learner, who always does most of the work." — criticalfallibilism.com