Obama assumed that Republicans would act "rationally" where "rationality" was defined by false reason -- on the logic of material self-interest.
Instead, expected utility theory is not a complete theory of rationality: when two acts have the same expected utility, it does not tell us which to prefer.
As we have said before in support of the Marketplace Fairness Act, the fundamental issues here are ones of rationality and fairness.
They acted in favor of the most elemental notion of rationality and principle.
A hypothetical imperative is a principle of rationality that says that I should act in a certain way if I choose to satisfy some desire.
"I would say that all that science-speak -- I mean, anybody can apply for a patent -- put a sheen of rationality on what is essentially an irrational act," he said.
Deontologists need their own, non-consequentialist model of rationality, one that is a viable alternative to the intuitively plausible, "act-to-produce-the-best-consequences" model of rationality that motivates consequentialist theories.
Schopenhauer's originality does not reside in his characterization of the world as Will, or as act — for we encounter this position in Fichte's philosophy — but in the conception of Will as being devoid of rationality or intellect.
Since design is a form of action, a structured series of decisions to proceed in one way rather than another, the form of rationality that is relevant to it is practical rationality, the rationality incorporating the criteria on how to act, given particular circumstances.
My definition of what I take to be the universal normative sense of "morality," requires a normative sense of "rationality," such that no moral agent would ever advise anyone for whom he is concerned, including himself, to act irrationally.
