[lbo-talk] rationality (was: SPIEGEL on Dresden

T Fast tfast at yorku.ca
Thu Feb 17 08:31:03 PST 2005



> Travis:
>> Rationality is internally conferred to some degree. One can be mistaken
>> about ends and means and still be rational. Anything more than that and
> you
>> have ascended to the status of a god i.e., perfect foresight. Could we
>> please stop throwing the term rational around like it had some connection
>> with "rightness" "effective" and the like.
>>
>
>
> This is the way rationality is seen by economists and theologians - and
> reflects the poverty of their thought.
>
> An alternative definition would be informed by the way human mind actually
> operates under the condition of imperfect information - which is its
> normal
> operating condition. Under that condition, human mind does what the
> economists and theologians have not even dreamed of - it turns imperfect
> information into semi-certitudes by the process of framing.
>
> Wojtek
>

Where does this leave "rational" as a description of behaviour? What then is a rational act, belief, etc? This is the "pragmatic" nub of the issue.

And while we are here. What is the difference between the statement "individuals turn imperfect information into semi certitudes by a processes of framing." and the statement that "given a certain context and desire an individual will act on less than perfect information as though it were near perfect information."?

Travis



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