Rationality : a philosophical inquiry into the nature and the rationale of reason
An analysis and defence of the view that rationality consists in the intelligent pursuit of appropriate objectives, considering the mechanics, rationale and rewards of reason. The central thesis is that only a "normative" theory of rationality can be adequate to the complexities of the subject.
Print Book, English, 1988
Clarendon Press ; Oxford University Press, Oxford [England], New York, 1988
xi, 234 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.
9780198244356, 0198244355
17954516
The range of rationality; the predicament of reason; the rationale of rationality - why follow reason?; cognitive rationality and risk - a critique of scepticism; cognitive rationality and consistency; the rationality of ends; economic rationality and problems of utility maximization; the systemic unity of reason; conceptual egocentrism and the limits of cognitive relativism; the universality of the rational; the rationality of the real; rationality and humanity; rationality and happiness; conclusion - the grandeur and misery of reason.