I’d prefer to reject point 2. Arguments from etymology are not particularly strong. We’re using the term in a way that has been standard here since the site’s inception, and that is in accordance with the standard usage in economics, game theory, and artificial intelligence.
You may be right in that the argument comes more from a concern with how a broader public relates to the term of ´rational´ than how it is used in the mentioned disciplines.
On the other hand I feel that the broader public is relevant here. LessWrong isn´t that small a community and I suspect people have quite some emotional attachment to this place, as they use it as a guide to alter their thinking.
By calling all things that are usefull in this way ‘rational’ I think you’d be confusing the term. It could lead to rationality turning into a generic substitute for ‘good’ or ‘decent’. To me, that seems harmfull to an agenda of improving people’s rational thinking.
I’d prefer to reject point 2. Arguments from etymology are not particularly strong. We’re using the term in a way that has been standard here since the site’s inception, and that is in accordance with the standard usage in economics, game theory, and artificial intelligence.
You may be right in that the argument comes more from a concern with how a broader public relates to the term of ´rational´ than how it is used in the mentioned disciplines.
On the other hand I feel that the broader public is relevant here. LessWrong isn´t that small a community and I suspect people have quite some emotional attachment to this place, as they use it as a guide to alter their thinking. By calling all things that are usefull in this way ‘rational’ I think you’d be confusing the term. It could lead to rationality turning into a generic substitute for ‘good’ or ‘decent’. To me, that seems harmfull to an agenda of improving people’s rational thinking.