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Rationality is just a tool, which can be used or misused. That said, it has a really impressive list of accomplishments when it is used well. The rationalist vi

Rationality is just a tool, which can be used or misused. That said, it has a really impressive list of accomplishments when it is used well. The rationalist view and rationalist methods have created more wealth and alleviated more human suffering than most any mystic of the world pre-1800s would ever have imagined.

pl1234 8y ago
"The rationalist view and rationalist methods have created more wealth and alleviated more human suffering than most any mystic of the world pre-1800s would ever have imagined." This is not the rational statement you seem to think it is. A lot of cultures/religions think they are the saviors of humanity, do you really think it is different this time? How do you even quantify the total "human suffering" pre and post-1800? You can't, dig into it and you will find it's a morally loaded term. There can be specific quantifications like measuring pain with a likert scale, but these are not the same as an overall "human suffering" factor, any attempt at measurement introduces subjectivity. What you have is a hardcore religious belief, not a rational one.
throwaway2048 8y ago
People would do well to remember that the ideology of the Nazis had deep roots in rationalism and ideas about the enlightenment. Rationality is not an unmitigated good when not tempered with humanity and empathy for others. A decent discussion on this topic: https://old.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/6k2f7d/how_did_the_philosophy_of_the_enlightenment_led/ https://old.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/6k2f7d/how_d...
- stcredzero 8y ago
  Rationality is not an unmitigated good when not tempered with humanity and empathy for others. No disagreement at all.
tathougies 8y ago
> That said, it has a really impressive list of accomplishments when it is used well Of course it does. Almost every person in the history of mankind will have claimed to act rationally, including the scientist inventing better means of wheat production on fewer acres, as well as the voodoo witch doctor trying to do the same thing. By necessity, whatever works is going to claim to have been inspired by rationality.
- stcredzero 8y ago
  whatever works is going to claim to have been inspired by rationality Everything that works turns out to work through rational principles subject to the scientific method, enabling improvement through engineering, often enabling the creation of wealth. Funny that.

pl1234 8y ago

"The rationalist view and rationalist methods have created more wealth and alleviated more human suffering than most any mystic of the world pre-1800s would ever have imagined." This is not the rational statement you seem to think it is. A lot of cultures/religions think they are the saviors of humanity, do you really think it is different this time? How do you even quantify the total "human suffering" pre and post-1800? You can't, dig into it and you will find it's a morally loaded term. There can be specific quantifications like measuring pain with a likert scale, but these are not the same as an overall "human suffering" factor, any attempt at measurement introduces subjectivity. What you have is a hardcore religious belief, not a rational one.

throwaway2048 8y ago

People would do well to remember that the ideology of the Nazis had deep roots in rationalism and ideas about the enlightenment. Rationality is not an unmitigated good when not tempered with humanity and empathy for others. A decent discussion on this topic: https://old.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/6k2f7d/how_did_the_philosophy_of_the_enlightenment_led/ https://old.reddit.com/r/askphilosophy/comments/6k2f7d/how_d...

stcredzero 8y ago
Rationality is not an unmitigated good when not tempered with humanity and empathy for others. No disagreement at all.

tathougies 8y ago

> That said, it has a really impressive list of accomplishments when it is used well Of course it does. Almost every person in the history of mankind will have claimed to act rationally, including the scientist inventing better means of wheat production on fewer acres, as well as the voodoo witch doctor trying to do the same thing. By necessity, whatever works is going to claim to have been inspired by rationality.

stcredzero 8y ago
whatever works is going to claim to have been inspired by rationality Everything that works turns out to work through rational principles subject to the scientific method, enabling improvement through engineering, often enabling the creation of wealth. Funny that.