Samuel de Castro Bellini-Leite has a PhD in Philosophy (Logic, Science, Mind, and Language) from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), a Master’s degree in Philosophy (Philosophy of Mind, Cognitive Science, and Semiotics) from São Paulo State University (UNESP). and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Centro de Ensino Superior de Juiz de Fora (CES/JF). His work focuses on several areas in cognitive science, including cognitive psychology, philosophy of psychology, educational psychology, creativity and cognition, philosophy of artificial intelligence, philosophy of mind, and theoretical cognitive science. He currently teaches at Minas Gerais State University (UEMG).
Before achieving philosophical acclaim for his work on Illusionism, Keith was already quite influential in the field of dual process theories of cognition. His book Mind and Supermind developed one of the first philosophical takes on the duality of mind and the structure of belief, which still has nuance and should be explored and used in current descriptions of the mind. He also organized a collection of chapters from the most influential dual process theorists in the field, called In Two Minds: Dual Processes and Beyond.
Having contact with this collection was most likely the start of my career in writing about dual process theory. Being a philosophy of mind student somewhat isolated in Brazil, I was interested in attaching myself to the international community in some way. Therefore, I decided to be bold and reach out to Keith as he was the most prominent philosopher engaged in dual process theory. To my surprise, he agreed to be my online PhD supervisor here in the Federal University of Minas Gerais, along with André Abath. I am deeply grateful for this, and it was one of the first steps in consolidating my career.
Working with Keith included online meetings to decide the direction of my PhD thesis. These sessions allowed me to develop my ideas freely while also being guided responsibility as I navigated the field. Keith also recommended my work to Riccardo Viale, which opened more doors in terms of connection with the international community. Later, Keith and I co-write a chapter for a handbook Riccardo edited. Our chapter was titled ‘Bounded rationality and dual systems‘.
Writing with Keith was a challenging endeavor, since his British literacy was demanding in ways I was not acquainted with. (Though at one point, he joked that I was nitpicking more than him!) If I were sensible, I would have incorporated more of his writing style into my work. In fact, I hope he will feel free to edit this testimonial!
Currently, I hold a position teaching psychology at the Minas Gerais State University in Brazil, and most of my relevant research was done in this period working with Keith and André. My work on dual process theory has now had some influence on other fields such as AI, online behavior, decision-making in health sciences, and others. I think of it as an extension of what Keith started in the book In Two Minds.
