Ideal of Rationality A Defense, Within Reason

by Nathanson, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780812692624
• ISBN10: 0812692624
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-10-14
• Publisher: Open Court

Summary

The Ideal of Rationality presents an evaluation of all the main varieties of rationalism, in clear and jargon-free language. Different notions of rationality - such as means-end, conception, hedonism, and the evil-avoidance view - are examined and rejected, in favor of the theory that to act rationally is to 'act for the best', a theory Nathanson characterizes as "critical pluralism." Among present-day thinkers whose ideas are scrutinized are Richard Brandt, Bernard Gert, Gilbert Harman, John Kekes, Robert Nozick, Karl Popper, and John Rawls.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Revised Edition
Preface
Acknowledgments
The Classical Ideal	p. 3
John Barth's Critique of Pure Reason	p. 17
Reason and Deliberation	p. 43
Reason, Nihilism, and Objectivity	p. 55
Reason, Knowledge, and Truth	p. 69
The Ethics of Belief: A Jamesian View	p. 81
The Means/End Conception of Rationality	p. 99
Reasons, Motives, and Morality	p. 111
Irrational Desires	p. 123
Rational and Irrational Ends	p. 139
Pleasures and Values	p. 155
Evaluating Ideals	p. 173
Rationality Within Reason	p. 187
Afterword I: Rationality Revisited	p. 197
Afterword II: An Interview with the Author	p. 203
Afterword III: Rationality: Doubts and Theories	p. 215
Afterword IV: Final Thoughts	p. 229
Notes	p. 231
Bibliography	p. 247
Index	p. 253
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