Donald Hoffman

Donald David Hoffman was born in 1955. He received his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and earned his Ph.D. in mathematical psychology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1983 under the supervision of David Marr. Hoffman has been a faculty member at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) since 1983, where he teaches and conducts research.

Hoffman's research focuses on the intersection of cognitive science, artificial intelligence, evolutionary psychology, and the philosophy of mind. His most significant scientific claim, supported by mathematical modeling and evolutionary game theory, is that "evolution did not select us to perceive objective truth, but selected us for survival." Using the "desktop interface" metaphor, he argues that just as the folder icon on a computer screen does not represent the actual shape or color of the files on the hard drive, our perception of the three-dimensional world, space, time, and objects is not the absolute truth of the world, but rather simplified tools designed to hide the world's complexities and aid our survival.

His well-known book, "The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes" (2019), explains the key concepts of his view for both general and specialized audiences. His innovative theories have sparked considerable controversy and debate among philosophers of mind, physicists, and cognitive scientists regarding the nature of consciousness and objective reality.