Rationalism

Rationalism, or reason, is synonymous with a “good” way of thinking. The term is often used negatively: "Devoid of all delusions save those of observation, experience and reflection." Labelling thoughts or actions “irrational” or “unreasonable” signifies something that is not just incorrect, but perverse, immoral, or beneath consideration. Irrationality brings a charge of culpability.

So what is this “good” way of thinking? For something that everyone is expected to follow, conceptions of reason are remarkably diverse and ill-defined.

The common conception

Common conceptions of rationalism hold that truth can best be discovered by reason, factual analysis and the scientific method rather than by faith, revelation, religious teaching or other ways of knowing.

Means-ends rationalism

Another straightforward conception of rationality is that an individual acts rationally if they act in the way that, on reflection, they believe best suits achievement of their aims. This conception, naturally, gives rise to the common conception when “on reflection” it is believed that the aim of truth can best be achieved through factual analysis and the scientific method. Unfortunately it also begs the question. Many, on reflection, believe that astrology, Scientology, homeopathy and other ridiculous nonsense best suits achievement of their aims. If these people are to be held to be irrational a new criterion must be put in the place of “on reflection”. Usually the criterion is modified such that the rational person must “reasonably believe” they have a methodology to achieve their aims, leaving question of what it means to “reasonably believe” that a methodology will achieve certain aims.

Sanity and proper function

Alvin Plantinga's concept of rationalism neatly distinguishes reason from "raving madness" by conceiving of reason as "not raving mad". Of course Plantinga has to give us a good idea of what is not "raving mad", which he does with his concept of "proper function". Just as a clock, functioning properly, is a reliable indicator of the time human senses, functioning properly, are reliable indicators of the world. Acting in accordance with the proper function of our faculties is rational.

The problem of what constitutes function, and proper function at that, is more than a question of what our faculties do (a fast clock tells the incorrect time, but this is not it's function). Both function and proper function have an element of what things should be doing. As should is a difficult concept to introduce in a mechanistic description of how things happen to be, Plantinga sources the "should", the "purpose" of our faculties in a concept of God.

Critical rationalism

Critical rationalism (© Karl Popper) differentiates from the above conceptions of rationality by rejecting any positive content in reason. “Reason”, critical rationalism holds, does not provide 'reasons': it does not give positive recommendations about what beliefs should be held. Reason operates negatively, restricting the beliefs that can be held. It does this through criticism, subjecting pre-adopted beliefs to tests in an effort to refute them.

Rationalization and Rationalities according to post-modernism

According to post-modernism, there is no such thing as rationality, there are only rationalities. The act of creating a rationality is called rationalization. It is the acceptance of one rationality as The Rationality that is at the basis of most misunderstanding. Social theory from Postcolonialism to Science Studies have picked up on this and used it to critique, analyze, or understand the world around them. The classic example is Max Weber's Spirit of Capitalism. Many things considered rational today are only the rationalization and modification of behavior towards a mode of production called capitalism. Another example is Christian Conservative "irrational" beliefs in creationism and the evidence they have gathered for it. These can be seen as rational in light of their rationality towards their beliefs in God. They have simply rationalized their thought and behavior towards Christian Conservative beliefs. Similarly, the authority given to Western science in Western society due to the belief that "scientist's rationality" is The Rationality has created a phenomenon in society were Western science is truth. Science itself must never regard itself as truth (see falsifiability and Karl Popper), but society's expectations of this have placed science in an unusual position with some unusual outside influences that do actually lead to less than ideal scientific behavior within science and cripple innovation (see Mario Biagioli).

This decentering of rationality is something most people are uncomfortable with, even those who critique the misuse of rationality. The feeling of this thought is a deep anomie, and it is reaction to anomie that may lead most people to adopt Fundamentalist and Conservative beliefs in order to provide themselves with an anchor. However fear of Rationality and its anomie need not be so. The ineffable slipperiness of Rationality (big 'R') is its saving grace. Nothing can ever define itself as Rationality, so it is the very act of the claim of rationality that makes something not Rational. Only through never accepting a position as truthful or rational, and only through constant discourse, can there be openness.

See also

• Rationality