Maybe someone could clear this up a bit for me, but...
I had always thought that reason was a method of formalized thinking that weighed evidence and logic in coming to the most likely or most preferable conclusion.
Whereas...
Rationality is reasoning within a formal system, and following the consequences of the beliefs of that formal system.
I realize that my attempt to define these two terms is probably flawed to a degree, but I am still new at much of the terminology.
Edit: is there some form of coding by which I might use italics, bold, underlining, quoting, links, etc.? I see that others have used these, yet the norms for these styles don’t seem to work here.
Click the “help” link that appears when you compose a comment to get a style guide. It’ll tell you how to do bold, italics, links, etc.
Like this?
Thanks much. That will help a lot, as I tend to be a stickler for style (I also appreciate the heads-up on my rather embarrassing reliance upon the word selection software that caused a few gaffs earlier)
I do have to say that for one who claims to have a hard time writing, you are as prolific as one who claims to have no problem writing (now, as to what you mean by this, it may be up to a definition of goals of the writing).
The differences between Epistemic and Instrumental Rationality helped a great deal.
In my discussions with Steve Omohundro about Rationality, I get the feeling that he tends to think of rationality in the Instrumental sense. So, I have had a tendency to lean more toward this definition, even though I have often felt that I should be more inclusive of the epistemic type.
This leaves the question of defining Reason. Following what I have read, reason is just a toolbox (with many tools inside) to allow us to make rational decisions.
Is that correct?
(note: I have not yet read all of the “Map and the Territory”. That’s a lotta words in that link, and it will take me some time to get through them all)
Maybe someone could clear this up a bit for me, but...
I had always thought that reason was a method of formalized thinking that weighed evidence and logic in coming to the most likely or most preferable conclusion.
Whereas...
Rationality is reasoning within a formal system, and following the consequences of the beliefs of that formal system.
I realize that my attempt to define these two terms is probably flawed to a degree, but I am still new at much of the terminology.
Edit: is there some form of coding by which I might use italics, bold, underlining, quoting, links, etc.? I see that others have used these, yet the norms for these styles don’t seem to work here.
Click the “help” link that appears when you compose a comment to get a style guide. It’ll tell you how to do bold, italics, links, etc.
Like this?
Thanks much. That will help a lot, as I tend to be a stickler for style (I also appreciate the heads-up on my rather embarrassing reliance upon the word selection software that caused a few gaffs earlier)
http://lesswrong.com/lw/31/what_do_we_mean_by_rationality/
In http://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Map_and_Territory_%28sequence%29
Thank you (much).
I do have to say that for one who claims to have a hard time writing, you are as prolific as one who claims to have no problem writing (now, as to what you mean by this, it may be up to a definition of goals of the writing).
The differences between Epistemic and Instrumental Rationality helped a great deal.
In my discussions with Steve Omohundro about Rationality, I get the feeling that he tends to think of rationality in the Instrumental sense. So, I have had a tendency to lean more toward this definition, even though I have often felt that I should be more inclusive of the epistemic type.
This leaves the question of defining Reason. Following what I have read, reason is just a toolbox (with many tools inside) to allow us to make rational decisions.
Is that correct? (note: I have not yet read all of the “Map and the Territory”. That’s a lotta words in that link, and it will take me some time to get through them all)