frequently succeed in producing such systems that approximate how the world really is. For
perception, the reason for this success is evolutionary, in that human perceptual systems and their
forerunners in primates and other predecessors underwent selection for organisms that function well
in their environments. The explanation for scientific success is much more cultural, as powerful
methods such as controlled experimentation, statistical inference, and computer modeling have been
devised only in recent centuries. With such methods, it becomes possible to develop knowledge that
goes well beyond perception without succumbing to supernatural fantasies.
However, to possess wisdom and appreciate the meaning of life, it is not sufficient simply to know
reality. You need to know what aspects of reality matter, and why they matter. Wisdom without
knowledge is empty, but knowledge without wisdom is blind. The capacities of brains to gain
knowledge by perception and inference to the best explanation are required for the acquisition of
wisdom, but also required are capacities for assigning positive and negative values to what is
represented, including aspects of love, work, and play. We can understand this more deeply by
investigating how brains have emotions.