up:: Tags:: #🌱 <% tp.file.cursor(3) %> Links:: [[<% tp.file.cursor(4) %>]] # What is rationality? There are four models of rationality: 1. Present aim standard of rationality 2. Self interest model 3. The adaptive rationality standard 4. Pinker's definition of rationality 5. Rationality according to Aristotle ### The Present Aim Standard Of Rationality The present aim standard of rationality explains that a person is rational so that they are optimally pursuing whatever goal they are pursuing in the moment. The problem with this model is that the short term interest of someone might not be rational for their long term interest. ### The Self Interest Model According to the self interest standard a person is rational if they are efficient in the pursuit of their own interests. The problem with this model is there are many cases where people act against their self interest in the moment. For example, tipping someone while on the road, donating bone marrow to a random kid that needs it, or donating to charity in secret. ### The Adaptive Rationality Model A taste can be be added to the self interest model but only if it aids their quest to acquire resources that help them survive and reproduce in the long term. The problem is this doesn't explain why some people will run into burning buildings to save someone. ### Definition Of Rationality According to Steven Pinker Steven Pinker in his book [[Rationality]] defines it as “the ability to use knowledge to attain goals.” Knowledge in turn is standardly defined as “justified true belief.” By justified knowledge [[Steven Pinker]] means it wouldn't be "rational for people to act upon beliefs that were known to be false, such as looking for their keys in a place they knew the keys could not be, or if those beliefs could not be justified—if they came, say, from a drug-induced vision or a hallucinated voice rather than observation of the world or inference from some other true belief." In addition, [[Steven Pinker]] says "The beliefs, must be held in service of a goal. No one gets rationality credit for merely thinking true thoughts." Because rationality must be in service of a goal, The Underground Man from [[Notes From Underground]] couldn't be seen as rational. Finally, it would be in itself irrational to contemplate incessantly over how to be more rational. There needs to be a point where you just act. This is why the The Underground Man would still not be rational. It's important to understand that rationality isn't just used to pursue goals, it's also used to reveal them. Rational arguments can be comprised of five things: - Logical - Probabilistic - Empirically Grounded - Utility Improvement - Not Biased While being rational can be done for itself it can't always tell you what goals you should pursue in a situation. Since not everything happens at once conflicts between goals can occur when goals are realized at different times. ### Rationality to Aristotle **Rationality has become synonymous with logic and reason in contemporary culture, but what it meant to the Ancient Greeks was our ability to step back, see our tendencies for self deception, and act in a way that grows our character.**