Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: March 28, 2024, 9:25 am

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
If people were 100% rational, would the world be better?
#76
RE: If people were 100% rational, would the world be better?
(August 8, 2021 at 12:31 pm)Angrboda Wrote:
(August 8, 2021 at 12:26 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: -ofc, and there's vast room to disagree and other ways of thinking about it.  I'm content to call it a selective preference so that we don't need to get bogged down with choice.  I would also suggest that regardless of whether we do or don't have free will, "choosing life" is a process of rational selection.

Choosing life only becomes rational if we "could have done otherwise."  Without it, the term rational loses all meaning.

I disagree. 

Rational agent, X, has no free will. All his actions are determined. X is unaware of these circumstances. 

So X goes around making judgments and decisions throughout his life. Some of these decisions are rational. That is, before deciding, X thinks of a premise (or premises) that he thinks are true, and uses them to come up with a conclusion. He then uses that conclusion to inform whether to do one thing or another. He did all this without free will. No incompatibilist argues that people don't think, reason, or use logic. They argue that none of it involves free will.

Other decisions X makes are not rational. Those decisions do not involve X considering premises or conclusions before making a decision. X makes these decisions based on gut, impulse, custom, or what have you.

So rational still has meaning even if we could not do otherwise.
Reply



Messages In This Thread
RE: If people were 100% rational, would the world be better? - by vulcanlogician - August 8, 2021 at 10:02 pm

Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  If you were accused but were innocent ... GrandizerII 40 2891 December 3, 2018 at 9:44 pm
Last Post: bennyboy
  An easy proof that rational numbers are countable. Jehanne 7 1994 February 22, 2018 at 10:30 pm
Last Post: Jehanne
  Argument from "better to seek proper vision". Mystic 53 5832 October 25, 2017 at 1:13 pm
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  Is the fear of irrational fears rational? ErGingerbreadMandude 26 6167 August 13, 2017 at 9:48 pm
Last Post: Losty
  Is there a logical, rational reason why hate is bad? WisdomOfTheTrees 27 3538 February 4, 2017 at 10:43 pm
Last Post: BrianSoddingBoru4
  What if Creationists were Athiest for a day? ScienceAf 59 5810 August 29, 2016 at 2:24 pm
Last Post: Arkilogue
  Afterlife, I'd be happy if it were true..... maestroanth 35 3692 June 12, 2016 at 3:13 am
Last Post: Little lunch
  Oxford Metaphysics Podcasts - 100+ available online, free Heat 0 710 April 5, 2016 at 9:39 pm
Last Post: Heat
  Is world better without Saddam? TrueChristian 90 11609 December 31, 2015 at 1:59 pm
Last Post: Minimalist
  In regard to the rational person's choice Mohammed1212 23 5958 April 27, 2015 at 5:44 pm
Last Post: noctalla



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)