When we have debates about things that have high stakes for us, people on both sides often lift the standards for what counts as good and reliable evidence. This can result in us trusting some people less than others, depending on how what they say preserves our existing views.

So what does this mean for how we go about changing people’s minds on high stake issues? Philosopher Eleanor Gordon-Smith joins Uncommon Sense to discuss why changing minds involves reworking how we conceptualise reason and rationality, which she explores in her new book Stop Being Reasonable.