Is sanity rational?

[mralstoner]

But are these components of world view ACTUALLY rational? Are they founded on observation or a sensible process of drawing inferences? I don't think so. I think they are expressions of feelings ingrained in our species through the process of evolution.

There are two main variables in the brain (1) beliefs/knowledge and (2) values/feelings. Values/feelings define our end goals, and beliefs tell us (hopefully) efficient ways of achieving those goals.

So, the question "what is rational?" will be answered differently depending on which of these two functions you're talking about.

When talking about "rational" in the domain of beliefs, we are asking: is this belief reliable?

It doesn't make sense to talk about "rational" in the domain of values, because feelings (as end-goals) are not truth-apt, they are a force of motivation. (Although, you could argue that certain desires are irrational if they are sabotaging your overall happiness, and hence ought to be curbed).

So, what is "sane" in all this? We might say that unreliable beliefs are insane. And we might call someone insane if they don't recognise the authority of feelings as their motivation, or if their feelings are so outside the norm that we label them "el weirdo".

But rationality mainly applies to only one function of the brain, not both.