Practical Rationality Research Articles

Unifying Epistemic and Practical Rationality

Abstract Many theories of rational action are predicated on the idea that what it is rational to do in a given situation depends, in part, on what it is rational to believe in that situation. In short: they treat epistemic rationality as explanatorily prior to practical rationality. If they are right in doing so, it follows, on pain of explanatory circularity, that epistemic rationality cannot itself be a form of practical rationality. Yet, many epistemologists have defended just such a view of epistemic rationality. According to them, there is no such thing as a distinctively epistemic form of rationality which could be explanatorily prior to practical rationality. Rather, they maintain, there is just one form of rationality—practical rationality—of which epistemic rationality is a species. What to make of this conflict? The aim of this paper is to motivate a view about the relationship between epistemic and practical rationality which resolves the conflict in a way that should be attractive to both sides. The central idea is to ground both epistemic and practical rationality in an independently motivated notion of evidential probability which is itself to be understood in non-normative terms. Doing so, I argue, allows us to unify epistemic and practical rationality in a way that does justice to the idea that what it is rational to do depends, in part, on what it is rational to believe; and to do so in a way that avoids explanatory circularity.

Notes on Contributors

Previous article FreeNotes on ContributorsPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreShai Agmon is a PhD candidate in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford. Starting next year, he will be the Rank-Manning Junior Research Fellow at New College, University of Oxford. His research interests include institutional political philosophy, the normative limits of markets, and legal philosophy. [email protected]Pietro Cibinel is a PhD student in philosophy at Princeton University. He works on epistemology, ethics, and decision theory, with a focus on topics at the intersection of these areas. [email protected]Jonathan Gingerich is senior lecturer in philosophy of law at King’s College London and has research interests in ethics, moral psychology, aesthetics, political and legal philosophy, and existentialism. He is currently writing a book about spontaneity. [email protected]Samuel Lee recently completed his PhD at New York University and is currently a postdoctoral research fellow at Linköping University. His main areas of research are metaphysics and the philosophy of science, where he focuses on causation, grounding, intervention, and probability. Further research interests are in ethics and the philosophy of action, where he pays particular attention to free will and moral responsibility and the role of consequence in moral philosophy.Andy Mueller is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Goethe University. His book Beings of Thought and Action: Epistemic and Practical Rationality (2021) investigates epistemic norms for practical reasoning and pragmatic encroachment in epistemology. Most recently he has had articles published in Analysis, Episteme, and Synthese. [email protected]Liam Shields is a senior lecturer in political theory at the University of Manchester. His research interests include distributive justice, particularly sufficientarianism; equality of opportunity in education; and the distribution of child-rearing rights. He is currently writing a monograph, provisionally entitled The Ethics of Child-Rearing Relationships, that argues for an account of justice in the distribution of child-rearing rights that accommodates the interests of those other than the parents and the child, such as grandparents. [email protected] Previous article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Ethics Volume 133, Number 1October 2022 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/720785 Views: 394Total views on this site © 2022 The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Feeling Like It: A Theory of Inclination and Will

<i>Feeling Like It: A Theory of Inclination and Will</i>

THE MODERN VALUE OF MOHIST THEORY IN ANCIENT CHINA

Mozi1 can be described as broad and profound, which covers the natural sciences, philosophy and social sciences, Mozi has made great achievements in mathematics, mechanics, optics, engineering science, etc. In terms of natural science, philosophy and logic, thoughts including «whole world as one community», «homogeneity of benefit and morality», «respect the rules», «peaceful coexistence», «mutual aid» advocated by Mozi, are complementary and consistent with his scientific rationality and scientific spirit. On this basis, Mozi further demonstrated his labor-based and ability-based view, power contract view, view of rule of law, and social overall view, etc. With the serious incompleteness and loss of the documents of Mozi, and the practical rationality and empirical way of thinking of traditional Confucianism have become cultural factors restricting the further development of science, technology and spiritual civilization. So the numerous scientific and technological achievements created by Mozi, and the ideological system of Mohism have not been fully and completely inherited and developed. In a certain sense, the elements of science, democracy and other elements lacking in the feudal social ideology with Confucianism as the mainstream need to be supplemented by the clear scientific rationality and scientific spirit of Mohist. To revitalize traditional culture and promote economic and social development, it is still necessary to continue to excavate and carry forward the scientific rationality and ethical spirit of Mohism.

Conservative Treatment of Evidence

AbstractThis paper discusses two conservative ways of treating evidence. (I) Closing inquiry involves discounting evidence bearing on one's belief unless it is particularly strong evidence; (II) biased assimilation involves dedicating more investigative resources to scrutinizing disconfirming evidence (than confirming evidence), thereby increasing the chances of finding reasons to dismiss it. It is natural to worry that these practices lead to irrational biases in favor of one's existing beliefs, and that they make one's epistemic condition significantly path-sensitive by giving a bigger role to batches of evidence obtained earlier in the course of inquiry compared with those subsequently acquired. However, I argue that both practices are demanded by considerations of practical rationality. I also argue that, contrary to initial appearances, there is little reason to worry about the effects of these practices on the dynamics of one's beliefs.

What is Digital Transformation and Digital Maturity?

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the concepts of digital transformation and digital maturity, and specifically how they are conceptualized and how they relate to each other, in order to develop insights, critical reflections, future research paths, and research questions. The methodology is based on the three elements: a structured review of scholarly literature where both concepts occur, an AI-based study of both concepts, and a qualitative study with input from 177 experts on digital transformation. Findings confirm the conceptual ambiguity of both concepts which has been noted in extant literature. This ambiguity makes it difficult to rely on – let alone generalize from – digital transformation research output. This paper suggests both the possibility to deduct, from literature, an alternative definition of digital transformation as the “change between different states of digital maturity”, and the possibility of further simplifications, reductions, and variations, of both concepts. The theoretical and practical rationale is that change is the smallest common denominator of digital transformation, and that digital maturity is easier to measure, largely as an effect of existing and established classic maturity model, concepts, and constructs (e.g., organizational culture, leadership, learning, upskilling, et cetera) being increasingly used in general digital maturity models, which may suggest that digital transformation is not very different from other organizational changes, which in turn could have theoretical and practical implications for how the concepts of digital transformation and digital maturity are understood, measured and, ultimately, managed. The paper also highlights possible misconceptions in literature, and suggests that the successive changes between states are non-linear, as opposed to linear, and multi-directional, as opposed to unidirectional. This paper predicts a decreased use of term digital as a qualifying prefix, and that suggests that effectiveness is a common term which encapsulates what digital maturity represents. Keywords - Digital transformation, Digital Maturity, Change Management, Strategy, Literature Review, Paper type - Research paper, Empirical, Conceptual

In Search of Scholarly Impact

In Search of Scholarly Impact

Practical rationality as a determinant of formality in communicative situations: toward a procedure for causal interpretation in qualitative communication research

Abstract This article develops an updated version of formality as an analytical framework in the comparative study of communicative situations, and especially of meetings. The discussion remakes Judith Irvine’s formality framework by adding to it the explanatory principle of practical rationality as used within Weber’s Interpretive Sociology. This conceptual move provides an efficient and accurate means by which to infer the final causes, reasons, or ends of communicative situations. To illustrate this analytical approach and how it can contribute to qualitative theorization in general, the article conducts an in-depth ethnographic and comparative examination of civic software production meetings in Israel and the United States. The overall argument of the article is that practical rationality can provide a valuable means for deepening explanations of cultural difference in qualitative communication research.

Individual rights in Schleiermacher’s limited communitarian state

ABSTRACT In his lectures on ethics and on the state Schleiermacher develops a theory of a limited communitarian state, one that purports to balance individual interests and rights with the more general aims of the state. I defend Schleiermacher against recent objections to his theory: first, that he subordinates individual rights to the advancement of the state, and second, and relatedly, that he tends to collectivize rights and freedom. The first objection overlooks Schleiermacher's account of rational action. An analysis of Schleiermacher's account of practical rationality reveals that individual rights are inscribed within the intersubjectively grounded, normative structure of rational action. This answers the first objection. I argue that the second objection turns on a conception of individuality Schleiermacher rejects and ignores his arguments against the view of individuality the objection imposes on him. Thus, the objection that Schleiermacher has a deflationary view of individual rights fails.

Telaah Kritis Teologi Islam

&lt;p&gt;An important question in this paper is how is paradigm construction of critical theological thought. To understand its construction, this paper shows paradigm shifting of thought of Islamic theology since classic era to contemporary. The shifting is since Khawarij growth that discuss about big sin, unbeliever, believer, heaven, and hell. Now, theological thought had grown and entered in various scientific paradigm. These themes are very variational too, even new thing that is nothing before. Critical theological thoughts belong to paradigms or new world views that is important for contemporary era. Critical theological thought in Indonesia had been stated by critical intelectuals such as Abdurrahman Wahid, Muslim Abdurrahman, Masdar F. Mas’udi, and Kuntowijoyo. Paradigm of critical Islamic theology is an emancipatory thought on modern culture and society, for example critique of economics, politics, and structure. This thought starts from reaction of unjust social system. This thought starts from point of suffering in praxis. Its objective is to build social structure that freed human being from every oppression. Critical theological thought did not separate theory and practice, knowledge and action, theoritical rationality and practical rationality. This thought reflects critically something practice in historical sosial life.&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Do the Standards of Rationality Depend on Resource Context?

People sometimes knowingly undermine the achievement of their own goals by, e.g., playing the lottery or borrowing from loan sharks. Are these agents acting irrationally? The standard answer is “yes.” But, in a recent award-winning paper, Jennifer Morton argues “no.” On her view, the norms of practical reasoning an agent ought to follow depend on that agent’s resource context (roughly, how rich or poor they are). If Morton is correct, the orthodox view that the same norms of practical rationality apply to all agents needs revision. I argue that Morton’s arguments fail on empirical and philosophical grounds. What’s at stake? If Morton is correct, poverty relief agencies ought to re-design their incentives so resource-scarce agents can rationally respond to them. If I’m correct, resource-scarce agents do act irrationally in the cases under discussion, and we shouldn’t be shy about saying so. Instead of declaring them rational, we should try to understand the causes of their irrational behavior and help them better succeed by their own lights.

Understanding Realist Reviews for Medical Education.

Understanding Realist Reviews for Medical Education.

The Epistemic Relevance of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

The Epistemic Relevance of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Chloe Bamboulis (bio) and Lisa Bortolotti, PhD* (bio) Ratnayake's interesting paper challenges two claims, that cognitive distortions in depression involve epistemic issues; and that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can rectify those epistemic issues. We are going to discuss both claims here and offer some reasons not to underestimate the epistemic relevance of CBT. First, there may be epistemic issues underlying cognitive distortions in depression that CBT can effectively address, including blind acceptance of negative automatic thoughts and insensitivity to evidence. But, even if CBT were primarily in the business of enhancing utility as opposed to validity, this would have significant, though indirect, epistemic benefits. Validity and Utility in Depression All human agents, whether they have a mental health diagnosis or not, behave in ways that diverge from the ideal standards of epistemic and practical rationality, compromising validity and utility. Whereas validity mostly concerns the accuracy of mental representations and the correctness of explanatory hypotheses, utility concerns their adaptiveness. The goal of validity is to see the world, the self, and the future as they are, whereas the goal of utility is to enhance successful and productive behavior avoiding misery. Let's consider Ratnayake's example of a student who "performs mediocrely on a test and consequently believes that they will fail the entire course." Call her Susie. The depressive realism effect suggests that people with mild depressive symptoms are more accurate than controls when rating themselves and predicting their future, but the same epistemic advantage neither applies to those diagnosed with major depression nor extends to tasks that are not self-related. Suppose that Susie evaluates accurately her performance in the test and also accurately predicts that she will fail the entire course: she may be showing validity at the expense of utility. But what about those other thoughts Susie is likely to have due to her depression, about her social interactions and everyday situations? That the world is a cruel place and luck is always against her, that she is weak and unable to control her circumstances? These thoughts may lack both validity and utility. If we think that so-called cognitive distortions in depression only involve practical issues and [End Page 91] not epistemic issues, we may also believe that, if a therapy addresses cognitive distortions effectively, it does so because it boosts utility. But this would be misleading. Epistemic issues include generating implausible hypotheses that do not pass rigorous reality testing, but also arriving at hypotheses without taking into account the relevant evidence that is available. If Susie arrives at a self-prediction that turns out to be correct by simply accepting a negative automatic thought, this does not indicate that she has exercised epistemic rationality. Simply accepting that things will go badly due to negative biases may give rise to correct predictions, but the prediction will not reflect a careful consideration of the factors that are likely to contribute to the future outcome. This has implications for the discussion of the aims of CBT: the epistemic relevance of a therapeutic approach does not merely depend on whether it increases the overall number of accurate representations and correct hypotheses, but in whether it encourages grounding representations and hypotheses on experience and evidence. Does CBT Lead to Epistemic Improvement? The main thesis in Ratnayake's paper is that CBT does not produce more accurate self-evaluations or more reliable self-predictions but encourages a positive way of interpreting reality that, before engaging in therapy, people might not have taken advantage of. The claim, then, is that CBT does not contribute to validity but boosts utility: it may be instrumental to turning people into more practically rational agents, enabling them to navigate their environment in a more successful way. However, for Ratnayake, CBT does not turn people into more epistemically rational agents, because, instead of eliminating distortions from their reasoning, it promotes an interpretation of the facts that protects people from anxiety and depression. Take Susie who comes to believe, with high conviction, that she will fail the whole course because she performed mediocrely in one test. By inviting Susie to think about...

A capacity adaption optimization model for supernormal operation of urban rail transit networks

In response to urban rail transit capacity shortage, a capacity adaption optimization model for the new mixed train operation mode is proposed in the supernormal operation of urban rail transit networks. First, the characteristics of express-local train and long-short route slow train are analyzed to obtain the main influencing factors of capacity adaption. Moreover, various train types are simultaneously classified and recombined in the adaption train operation mode to maximize transportation capacity for passengers. A nonlinear mixed-integer programming model is established to maximize the total number of trains, improving train load rate and reducing the total passenger travel time. In addition, the actual case of Beijing Metro Line 1 is solved to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed model. The optimal passenger travel time-saving rates of the morning and evening peak hours are 12.1% and 11.5%, respectively. The optimal utilization rates of capacity in the morning and evening peak hours are 79.5% and 84.5%, respectively. Meanwhile, the optimal load factor within the range of 0.7–0.9 would benefit the utilization of train resources and the passengers’ service level. The optimized results show that the proposed capacity adaption optimization model benefits for high service level and practical significance and rationality for operators.

Could There Be Expressive Reasons? A Sketch of A Theory

ABSTRACT In pursuit of a theory of expressive reasons, I focus on the practical rationality of actions such as welcoming, thanking, congratulating, saluting – I label them ‘expressive actions.’ How should we understand the kinds of practical reasons that count in favour of expressive actions? This question is related to the question of how to understand non-instrumental fittingness-type reasons for emotion. Expressive actions often are and should be expressions of emotion. It seems to be an important feature of such actions that the reasons that count in favour of the action are entangled with reasons of fittingness that count in favour of the relevantly connected emotion. But how should we understand this entanglement? I argue that the relevant category of reasons cannot be captured on approaches standard in normative theory. I develop a theory of sui generis expressive reasons. I argue that we have reason to perform actions that mark certain situations that contain some significant value or disvalue, independently of any reason to alter those situations. This is the role of expressive actions. Sui generis reasons for expressive actions are entangled with reasons for relevantly connected emotions because (some) emotions have the same role of marking extraordinary situations.

Integrated review of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of maternity health care professionals concerning umbilical cord clamping.

Umbilical cord clamp timing has implications for newborn health, which include increased iron stores up to 6months of age. National and International cord clamping guidelines differ as do health professionals' practices. The rationale for differences in cord clamping practice is unclear. Studies on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of maternity health care professionals about cord clamp timing were synthesized. Similarities and differences between professional groups and understanding of the optimal timing of cord clamp timing for term newborns were compared. An integrative review was undertaken. PubMed, Scopus, MIDIRS, CINAHL, and Google Scholar were searched. Publication date limits were set between January 2007 and December 2020. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) tools. Eighteen studies met inclusion criteria, as they included primary research studies that investigated maternity health care professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and practices about umbilical cord clamping, and were written in English. Four main subject areas were identified: a) knowledge of optimal cord clamp timing; b) attitudes and perceptions of early vs deferred cord clamping; c) cord clamping practice; and d) rationale for cord clamping practice. Different attitudes and practices were identified between midwifery and medical professionals in relation to cord clamp timing together with health professional knowledge and practice gaps pertaining to optimal cord clamp timing. Contemporary evidence should inform guidelines for clinical practice and be embedded into maternity health professional curricula and professional development programs.

Viewpoint: applying pragmatism to stimulate service research and practice – a European perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to apply pragmatism – a philosophy of science on the interplay of human actions and meaning – as a perspective for studying service research and practice, emphasizing the need to deal with dynamics and diversity to cope with service marketplace disruptions. This work focuses on customers (individuals or groups of individuals) as key marketplace stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachPragmatism provides a foundation for theorizing about change by connecting human actors’ cognitive belief structures and their actions through a continuous learning process. This paper outlines how the key principles of pragmatism can advance service research and practice.FindingsAdopting the key principles of pragmatism in service management directs attention to service market dynamics. Understanding customers’ everyday lives as the interplay of experiencing, knowing and acting reveals insights about the role of service in dynamic markets for the benefit of service research and practice.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is a viewpoint to stimulate researchers’ reflections on often hidden core assumptions about service. Pragmatism provides a perspective on actors’ practical rationality and problem solving in dynamic settings. Along with its emphasis on a holistic understanding of customers’ lives, this perspective provides direction for future service research and practice. Further, conceptual development and empirical substantiation are encouraged.Practical implicationsBy focusing on marketplace changes, this paper addresses management concerns for commercial and non-commercial organizations. Pragmatism encourages critical reflections on what companies are doing and why (the connection between actions and beliefs), revealing underlying beliefs and institutionalized industry practices that require modifications.Social implicationsPragmatism is an approach to service research and practice, irrespective of aggregation level and sector. Therefore, it can help stimulate societal welfare.Originality/valuePragmatism advances service research by delineating a holistic perspective on customers’ lives and providing a perspective for exploring and understanding dynamics and diversity in service markets.

The role of epistemological beliefs in STEM faculty\u2019s decisions to use culturally relevant pedagogy at Hispanic-Serving Institutions

BackgroundThe growing understanding of the oppressive inequities that exist in postsecondary education has led to an increasing need for culturally relevant pedagogy. Researchers have found evidence that beliefs about the nature of knowledge predict pedagogical practices. Culturally relevant pedagogy supports students in ways that leverage students’ own cultures through three tenets: academic success, cultural competence, and sociopolitical consciousness. If STEM practitioners believe that their disciplines are culture-free, they may not enact culturally relevant pedagogy in their courses. We investigated how and in what forms 40 faculty from mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology departments at Hispanic-Serving Institutions enacted culturally relevant pedagogy. We used the framework of practical rationality to understand how epistemological beliefs about the nature of their discipline combined with their institutional context impacted instructors’ decision to enact practices aligning with the three tenets of culturally relevant pedagogy.ResultsIn total, 35 instructors reported using practices that aligned with the academic success tenet, nine instructors with the cultural competence tenet, and one instructor with the sociopolitical consciousness tenet. Instructors expressed and even lauded their disciplines’ separation from culture while simultaneously expressing instructional decisions that aligned with culturally relevant pedagogy. Though never asked directly, six instructors made statements reflecting a “culture-free” belief about knowledge in their discipline such as “To me, mathematics has no color.” Five of those instructors also described altering their teaching in ways that aligned with the academic success tenet. The framework of practical rationality helped explain how the instructors’ individual obligation (to the needs of individual students) and interpersonal obligation (to the social environment of the classroom) played a role in those decisions.ConclusionsInstructors’ ability to express two contradictory views may indicate that professional development does not have to change an instructor’s epistemological beliefs about their discipline to convince them of the value of enacting culturally relevant pedagogy. We propose departmental changes that could enable instructors to decide to cultivate students’ cultural competence and sociopolitical consciousness. Our findings highlight the need for future research investigating the impacts of culturally relevant pedagogical content knowledge on students’ experiences.

Project value as practice: Interactive valuation practices in architectural design projects

In project research, value has been conceptualized either as something subjective in peoples’ minds or as an objective reality. However, in practice, project actors encounter, express, and negotiate value both subjectively (e.g., as ideals and beliefs) and objectively (e.g., as the price) depending on the evolving circumstances of real-life situations. To capture the project value phenomenon from project actors’ perspective, we adopt a projects-as-practice approach on project value, which puts the emphasis on the activity, process or practice of valuation rather than on value as something in itself. This suggests that project value must be understood with a focus on valuation practices, through which various project actors express what they value, and through which they evaluate the alternative ways of proceeding with the project tasks in hand. Using practice-level interaction data from three projects in an architectural practice, we reveal three nexuses of interrelated valuation practices with distinct practical rationalities, through which various considerations of project actors manifest themselves and get resolved in different ways. We argue that these valuation practices combined create an ongoing process of reconciliation in the observed projects and enact project value on an ongoing basis. We discuss how the cross-cutting issues of relational constitution of valuation practices, temporality as well as power relationships configure the practical rationality of valuation practices, thus determining the enacted project value. Our study complements the existing research on project value by establishing project value as practice, and by highlighting relational constitution, temporality, and power as key issues for the study of the project value phenomenon.

TWO ARGUMENTS FOR THE INCOHERENCE OF NON-TELEOLOGICAL DEISM

I argue that one form of deism, what I shall call ‘moderate non-teleological deism’, seems prima facie incoherent (at least on the assumption of the intuitive Anselmian conception of God). I offer two arguments in support of the prima facie incoherence view: the moral irresponsibility argument and the practical irrationality argument. On the one hand, the moral responsibility argument suggests that three of the essential attributes of such a deistic God are inconsistent: omniscience, omnipotence and moral perfection. This is, of course, a variation of the well-known argument from evil. On the other hand, the practical rationality argument suggests that were such a deistic God to create the universe but have no further interest, plan or goal for the universe, the very act would have committed a deistic God to practical irrationality. I argue that this result follows from a widely accepted understanding of the nature of practical rationality and agency. I briefly examine some objections to the two arguments and conclude that moderate non-teleological deism seems prima facie incoherent.