Rationality : Rational
In philosophy, the word "rationality" has been used to describe numerous religious and philosophical theories, especially those concerned with truth, reason, and knowledge. Rationality of various kinds has often been taken to be one of the key features of the mind and/or soul that separates humans from animals. Continental Rationalism is a school in which rationality and reason are the key methods by which we obtain knowledge. ... (add descriptions of different schools/theories)A logical argument is sometimes described as rational if it is logically valid.
In economics, sociology, and political science, a decision or situation is often called rational if it is in some sense optimal, and individuals or organizations are often called rational if they tend to act somehow optimally in pursuit of their goals. Thus one speaks, for example, of a rational allocation of resources, or of a rational corporate strategy. Sometimes, in this context, rationality is equated with behavior that is self-interested to the point of being selfish. Sometimes rationality implies having complete knowledge about all the details of a given situation. See Rational choice theory.
Debates arise in these three fields about whether or not people or organizations are "really" rational, as well as whether it make sense to model them as such in formal models. Some have argued that a kind of bounded rationality makes more sense for such models. Others think that any kind of rationality along the lines of rational choice theory is a useless concept for understanding human behavior; the term Homo economicus is largely in honor of this view.
In a number of kinds of speech, "rational" may also cannote a hodge-podge of generally positive attributes, including:
- reasonable: "having sound judgement" (Webster's)
- reasonable: "not extreme or excessive" (Webster's)
- justifiable (especially in the here and now, and not, say, in terms of tradition)
- not foolish
- sane
- good
Perhaps useful contrasts (??):
- rational vs. emotional
- rational vs. creative
- rational vs. spiritual
- reason vs. divine truth
- rational vs. logical
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ego.
An economy of the kind in the matter of nurses is highly suggestive.
proves the precociousness of children. But this surprising maturity
the consequent immaturity of the race. That which has less to grow
questioned whether it does not do so with the more haste; on the
only accomplishes his course quicker, but moves with relatively
comparatively faster than a larger one. Jupiter is still in his
his separate existence began long before hers. Either hypothesis
and its subsequent career of inactivity. Meanwhile the youthful
precocity affords against her future possibilities, pursues her
head lolls about, now on one side and now on the other, in a most
proceedings.
As soon as the babe gets a trifle bigger he ceases to be ministered
life consists of attentive subordination. The relation his
sufficiently by the comparative importance attached to precepts on
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To the Chinese child all the parental commands are not simply law to
is told is but the merest fraction of his duty; theoretically his
from Troy exemplifies his conduct when it comes to a question of
for his father, his next for his son, and his last for his wife.
greatest of Chinese virtues. Indeed, an undutiful son is a
otherwise. For a father sums up in propria persona a whole pedigree
divine. This condition of servitude is never outgrown by the
be specified, for a boarding school would be entirely out of keeping
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