Rationality

From Geography

Rationality is an ideology that puts ratio, or the human mind, at the main source of knowledge (Vennix,2010). This in contrary to empirism, that claims that sensory perception is the main source of knowledge. It can also be defined as a normative way of reasoning in which someone tries to derive a conclusion in a consistent way, with the information given in advance. Rationality is an important element in the philosophy and science and is used in various theories, such as the Rational Choice Theory and the Rational Actor Theory.

Types of rationality

There are different types of rationality, which are also used different in various disciplines. There are different kinds of rationality, because they use multiple assumptions who determines when a certain type of behaviour or a choice is rational.

• Communicative rationality is a theory or set of theories which describes human rationality as a necessary outcome of successful communication.

• In Goal rationality the achieving of the goal is the judging point. Intentions don't matter in this kind of rationality, it's whether or not you reach the goal that is important.

• In Purposive Rationality, the intentions are more important then the actual achieving of the goal.

• Normative Rationality thinks that rationality is based on Rightness. The claims have to fit between the normative borders of the community in which they are made.

• Aesthetic Rationality thinks that rationality is based on truthfullness. That means that people really have to believe in what they are saying.

References

• Vennix, J.A.M., (2010). Theorie en Praktijk van empirisch onderzoek. Volume 4, page 43.

Authors

• Page created by Malou van Woerkum and Robert Wursten on september 27th 2012.

• Page edited by --LarsPaardekooper 10:46, 26 October 2012 (CEST).