Minimal Rationality (Bradford Books)

Christopher Cherniak0262530872, 9780262530873

In Minimal Rationality, Christopher Cherniak boldly challenges the myth of Man the the Rational Animal and the central role that the “perfectly rational agent” has had in philosophy, psychology, and other cognitive sciences, as well as in economics. His book presents a more realistic theory based on the limits to rationality which can play a similar generative role in the human sciences, and it seeks to determine the minimal rationality an actual agent must possess. Christopher Cherniak teaches in the Philosophy Department at the University of Maryland.

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Table of contents :
Contents……Page 1
Preface……Page 3
I The Minimal Agent……Page 5
1.1 The “Autonomy of the Mental”……Page 6
1.2 Two Types of Belief Theory……Page 8
1.3 A Third Theory: Minimal Rationality……Page 11
1.4 Ideal Deductive Ability……Page 15
1.5 Minimal Consistency……Page 19
1.6 Vagueness……Page 21
1.7 Ancillary Theory……Page 23
1.8 Minimal Normative Conditions……Page 26
2.1 Role of a Feasibility Theory……Page 31
2.2 Universality……Page 33
2.3 Alternative Feasibility Orderings……Page 34
2.4 “Unnatural” Deductive Systems……Page 37
2.5 Constitutive Inferences……Page 42
2.6 ‘Believing That ‘……Page 45
2.7 Nonverbal Beliefs……Page 50
3.1 Idealized Memory……Page 52
3.2 More Realistic Models……Page 55
3.3 Commonsense Psychology……Page 57
3.4 Two Standards of Rationality……Page 62
3.5 Efficient Recall……Page 64
3.6 Choosing an Inquiry……Page 66
3.7 Limited Search……Page 68
3.8 Diminished Returns……Page 71
II Epistemological Implications……Page 75
4 The “Universal Acceptance of Logic”……Page 76
4.1 The Ideal Agent……Page 77
4.2 Undecidability……Page 78
4.3 Computational Complexity……Page 79
4.4 Minimal Rationality……Page 82
4.5 An “Epistemic Deduction Theorem”?……Page 84
4.6 Practical Adequacy of a Logic……Page 86
4.7 Against Metatheoretic Adequacy……Page 88
4.8 Practical Paralysis……Page 91
4.9 Real-World Relevance……Page 93
4.10 “Save Logical Truth”……Page 96
5 The Special Reasons Requirement……Page 101
5.1 The “Reasonable Person”……Page 102
5.2 “Transcendental” Rationale……Page 104
5.3 Pragmatism and Neopragmatism……Page 108
5.4 Psychologistic versus Absolute Requirements……Page 110
5.5 Minimal Requirements……Page 113
5.6 Heuristic Imbeciles……Page 115
5.7 Inquiry Selection……Page 118
5.8 B reakdowns……Page 120
6 Limits for Knowledge……Page 123
6.1 Neurath’s Boat……Page 124
6.2 Occam’s Razor……Page 126
6.3 The Finitary Predicament……Page 128
6.4 Translation……Page 130
6.5 Verificationism……Page 132
6.6 The Minimal Agent……Page 135
6.7 A Kantian Argument……Page 136
Notes……Page 140
References……Page 149
Index……Page 156