Rationality

What is rationality? Is it better than emotional sensibility? How does rationality influence our decision-making?

Human rationality and emotional sensibility are often intertwined.

The philosophical definition of rationality.

In the philosophical sense, rationality is using reason and logic instead of intuition, impulse, or emotional reaction to guide one's actions.

For example, you want to eat fried food, but you choose to eat healthy food instead because you are going to run a race tomorrow. Reason involves rationale, purpose, and logic.

The limitation of human's reason in real world.

Critique of Pure Reason

Immanuel Kant believed that human reason has limits and that we should not use it dogmatically. For instance, he claimed that reason cannot prove the existence of God or determine if the universe had a beginning. This is similar to a scientific question about the Big Bang. If there was literally "nothing" before the Big Bang, then it becomes unclear what could have caused it — since time itself may not have existed beforehand. Therefore, we must define the scope of reason and refrain from explaining things outside of that scope.

Antinomy

An antinomy occurs when two contradictory conclusions, both seemingly well-founded, can be drawn from arguments that appear equally reasonable and stem from the same rational or logical principles.

For example, all events are causally determined by nature, yet there is free will.

Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorems

These theorems show that in any sufficiently expressive formal system, there will always be true statements that cannot be proven or disproven within that system. Thus, both thinkers suggest that reason alone has limitations and cannot be used dogmatically to achieve absolute certainty.

So, reason itself is not an infinitely reliable tool. When it attempts to answer ultimate questions that lie beyond possible experience, such as the nature of the world, the origin of existence, or the existence of God, it inevitably arrives at contradictory conclusions.

The relationship between rationality and emotional sensibility.

Sensibility is the starting point of cognition.

Sensory perception is the direct experience of external stimuli through the senses and encompasses sensations, perceptions, and mental images. It is humanity's first step in understanding the world. Sensory perception enables us to "see, hear, and feel" concrete objects, forming the foundation upon which we construct knowledge. For example, witnessing the sun rise through sensory experience prompts us to contemplate the cosmos and the passage of time. Without sensibility, we cannot recognize this world.

Reason is the ability to abstract and conceptualize emotions.

We should group things with similar features into a concept. Then, we should use logic to analyze these concepts to find general principles.

They are not opposite but dependence.

The objects of rational thought must come from sensory experience; otherwise, there is no material with which to work. For example, if you have never seen concrete things like rocks and trees, reason alone cannot construct knowledge about them.

Rationalization

Some people have experienced trauma, so their emotional capacity is limited. They cannot recognize or ignore their emotions, and they appear exceptionally rational. However, their emotions still influence their actions, so they can only forcibly explain with reason, which is not real reasoning.

For example, a student who failed an exam said it was too difficult. This seems like a good explanation, but the real reason is that he did not prepare well.

Normal rational thinking forms judgments based on facts, logic, and evidence. Rationalization may appear to be a rational explanation, but it essentially uses logic as a cloak to conceal genuine emotions, motives, or uncomfortable truths. In other words, rationalization is a psychological coping mechanism that claims to be rational but is not.