2019 Rainmaker Readiness - Foundations of Historical Cognition: Learning about the Past to Shape our Futures

The project aims at developing our understanding of historical cognition and its critical roles in social decision making about our future risks and opportunities. To achieve this aim, the project will establish a new CDU interdisciplinary research group entitled “Historical Futures”, which will deploy Dr Bullot’s program of psychohistorical philosophy to investigate the foundations of historical cognition and the roles of historical thinking in decision making. Topics covered include the nature of intuitive history (the kind of common-sense historical thinking developed by laypersons and children, which differs from scientific histories), the heuristics and biases of historical cognition, and the role of historical thinking in cultural innovation. The outcomes shall include new international collaborations, new peer-reviewed research articles, and a series of webinars.