Styles of Rationality

Abstract

This article discusses the following: (i) The acceptability of diverse styles of rationality suggests replacing concern for uniqueness with that for coordination, (ii) Popper's lowering of the standard of rationality increases its scope insufficiently, (iii) Bartley's making the standard comprehensive increases its scope excessively, (iv) the pluralist view of rationality as partial (i.e., of Jarvie and Agassi) is better, but its ranking of all rationality eliminates choice of styles, (v) styles diversify the standards of rationality, (viii) rationality is not merely a matter of style, (vi) (vii) diversity raises new, interesting problems, allowing diversity permits reconciling differences better than does the absent unique standard, and (ix) cultural heritage and rationality are complementary.

Rationality As A Meta-Analytical Capacity of the Human Mind: From the Social Sciences to Gödel

“…Rationality usually refers to a fundamental human ability that differentiates humanity from animality and, as such, expresses the unity of humanity regarding the powers of the mind. Nevertheless, understanding the foundations of this unity remains largely conjectural and, as many authors have argued, there is no agreement on the best theory of rationality (Wettersten 1995), which is confirmed by the title of a recent collective (Bronner & Di Iorio 2018), evoking the “mystery of rationality”. The question is not to obtain a strict scientific definition, involving a particular interpretative framework, but it should not be an impossible task to identify the fundamental human ability to which the notion of rationality refers.…”

Critical rationalists much too narrow contribution to Der Positivismusstreit: Alternative political theories which conform to fallibilist, individualist methodologies were needed then and are needed today

“…One may then switch the aim of social science from, on the one hand, explaining how the rational action of individuals leads in sum to social consequences to, on the other hand, the aim of explaining how institutions lead to specific kinds of results. (Wettersten, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2006a, 2006b, 2007, 2009, 2010a, 2010b, 2011, 2012a, 2012b, 2012c, 2013, 2014) On this alternative theory of rational action, the individualist assumption that only individuals act and that individuals are free to choose their actions is maintained. But their rationality is seen to be dependent on institutions.…”

Contextualising corporate governance

“…Moreover, they do not have more or less of``rationality'' relative to each other. Rather, embedded in these social realities are alternative``styles of rationality'' (Wettersten, 1995). Weber's (1964) formal or procedural rationality and Allison's (1971)``organisation process paradigm'', are consistent with the hierarchist's overriding concern with rules and roles.…”

“…Plural realities and strategic change Wettersten (1995) argues that we should accept the possibility of different rationality styles and seek to integrate them, rather than try to evaluate alternative rationalities as being more or less developed. Different styles of reasoning produce:…”

“…This theory offers a simplified view of the world, using a coherent theoretical framework, and provides categories that are mutually exclusive and jointly exhaustive (Hood, 2000). The framework is enriched by Bloor's (1983) analysis of Wittgenstein's``language games'' and``forms of life'', and by ideas about distinctive``styles'' of rationality (Wettersten, 1995).…”