The Completely Rational Person

[T'ai Chi]

(Poll question): Do people think it is possible for a person to be 100% rational?

(Related question): Can people list specific people who are 100% rational?

(and by 100%, I mean, literally, 100%).

 

[Darat]

(Poll question): Do people think it is possible for a person to be 100% rational?

(Related question): Can people list specific people who are 100% rational?

(and by 100%, I mean, literally, 100%).

So I can answer at all seriously can you please clarify your definition of "rational"? For example are you using any of the following definitions or something different?

Encarta dictionary: © 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


1. reasonable and sensible: governed by, or showing evidence of, clear and sensible thinking and judgment, based on reason rather than emotion or prejudice
2. in accordance with reason and logic: presented or understandable in terms that accord with reason and logic or with scientific knowledge and are not based on appeals to emotion or, prejudice
3. able to reason: endowed with the ability to reason, as opposed to being governed solely by instinct and appetite

 

[Vitnir]

Every person is ruled by emotions in some situations. And thank god/Newton for that! Logic would kill love.

 

[plindboe]

We wouldn't be able to enjoy movies if we were entirely rational. The events on screen aren't real, and we know it. Still our brains are fooled every time. Irrational!

Perhaps a person with a serious brain defect could be entirely rational. Though I doubt it would be possible.

 

[Peskanov]

Ouch! A person voted "yes"!
This person must be joking...or has an strange interpretation of the question...

I have known a person which seems to rationalize all his actions. IMO he is some kind of megalomaniac.
He tries to aparent that ALL his actions are thinked before. However it's quite aparent most of his rationalizations are post-facto.
Probably the idea of having rational causes for all his actions provides a lot of security to him.

 

[ceptimus]

Acting with complete rationality would break many laws. Of course, many laws are irrational.

 

[Nyarlathotep]

I don't think it is possible to be 100% rational. I have yet to meet the person who doesn't have at leat a few phobias, silly superstitions (that the person knows to be silly and unfounded) or irrational quirks. If a 100% rational person exists he is not me (I have a couple of phobias at the very least) nor do I know that person.

 

[Darat]

Ouch! A person voted "yes"!
This person must be joking...or has an strange interpretation of the question...

I have known a person which seems to rationalize all his actions. IMO he is some kind of megalomaniac.
He tries to aparent that ALL his actions are thinked before. However it's quite aparent most of his rationalizations are post-facto.
Probably the idea of having rational causes for all his actions provides a lot of security to him.

Well (and it wasn't me that voted yes ) that's why I asked for clarification of what 100% rational would mean. If you look at one of the definitions I provided:

able to reason: endowed with the ability to reason, as opposed to being governed solely by instinct and appetite

Using that as a definition then I'd have to answer "yes".

 

[Yahweh]

I dont know what 100% rational would be...

If it implies "does not let emotions cloud judgement", then it's perfectly possible have a Vulcan-like approach to crushing your emotions into a tiny black ball in the bowels of your body, yet still have no firm grasp on being rational (i.e. sociopathic tendencies). Then again, being emotionless probably isnt the same as to imply being immoral or having no sense of right and wrong...

 

[bjornart]

Well (and it wasn't me that voted yes ) that's why I asked for clarification of what 100% rational would mean. If you look at one of the definitions I provided:

able to reason: endowed with the ability to reason, as opposed to being governed solely by instinct and appetite

Using that as a definition then I'd have to answer "yes".

Yup. I agree with that. Didn't vote yes though because anyone asking that question is bound to refer to definition 2 above.
You could be 99% rational, but you'd have to pick a few goals and basic rules out of a hat to have a starting point. Even the Vulcans had goals, even if they were only becoming more rational (which they aparently weren't all that good at), living long and prospering.

 

[Lord Muck oGentry]

Rational as opposed to irrational? Or rational as opposed to non-rational?

 

[thaiboxerken]

Every person is ruled by emotions in some situations. And thank god/Newton for that! Logic would kill love.

I really don't think of love as irrational. Emotions are often irrational, but don't need to be.

 

[!Xx+-Rational-+xX!]

Skeptics have a monopoply on being completely rational! If you are not completely rational and superior to the kooks then you are not a skeptic!

To understand the mind of a skeptic would be to understand the nature of reality and the great scientific method in its purest most objective form! - !Xx+-Rational-+xX!

I really don't think of love as irrational. Emotions are often irrational, but don't need to be.

Emotions are all irrational they are just delusions! We the superior skeptics should ignore such quackery!

 

[Paladin]

(Poll question): Do people think it is possible for a person to be 100% rational?

(Related question): Can people list specific people who are 100% rational?

(and by 100%, I mean, literally, 100%).

Yes.

I, for example, am 100% rational...at least 25% of the time.

Seriously, I do think it is possible for a person to be 100% rational, but not all the time.

Being 100% rational does not guarantee that someone own't make a mistake.

 

[Suezoled]

...which Tai Chi or anyone else who is a believer can now use as an argument for or against rationality in future threads. Or at least try to...


Conspiracy!

 

[Paladin]

...which now Tai Chi or anyone else who is a believer can now use as an argument for or against rationality in future threads.

Yes, but that won't repair the deficiencies in their logic, which the rest of us will continue to relentlessly expose. Anyone who tries to sidetrack a discussion by claiming that, "Well, nobody can be 100% rational, so your logic can't be 100% correct," or something similar, will be laughed at. Among other things.

The question of whether or not a given person is rational is irrelevant to the question of whether or not what a given person believes in actually exists.

 

[Suezoled]

Of course it won't repair their deficiencies, but it's coming... that waste of argument space...

 

[T'ai Chi]

...which Tai Chi or anyone else who is a believer can now use as an argument for or against rationality in future threads. Or at least try to...

Conspiracy!

Suezoled, you are the believer here for believing that that is the purpose of my post.

I'm just searching for the (literally) 100% rational person.

 

[slimshady2357]

I'm just searching for the (literally) 100% rational person.

You've been here a while.... do you remember a poster by the name "qed"?

He calimed to be 100% rational, or at least to be totally rational in everything he did.

He was also a 'hard' atheist in that he believed there was no God, I'm pretty sure he was quite certain of that. He claimed to be able to provide a proof for any God you could come up with.

Not many people took him seriously on that....

He did have a Masters in Math from the same university as me, just as an added useless fact

Adam

edited to add: I think gentlehorse would remember him... I believe they had it out a few times.

 

[Paladin]

Suezoled, you are the believer here for believing that that is the purpose of my post.

I'm just searching for the (literally) 100% rational person.

You might need a lamp, Diogenes.