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Single Idea 19248

[filed under theme 18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 5. Rationality / a. Rationality ]

Full Idea

The mental operations concerning in reasoning are three. The first is Observation; the second is Experimentation; and the third is Habituation.

Gist of Idea

Reasoning involves observation, experiment, and habituation

Source

Charles Sanders Peirce (Reasoning and the Logic of Things [1898], V)

Book Ref

Peirce,Charles Sanders: 'Reasoning and the Logic of Things', ed/tr. Ketner,K.L. [Harvard 1992], p.182


A Reaction

I like the breadth of this. Even those who think scientific reasoning has priority over logic (as I do, thinking of it as the evaluation of evidence, with Sherlock Holmes as its role model) will be surprised to finding observation and habituation there.


The 28 ideas with the same theme [general capacity for reason and logic]:

Aristotle gives a superior account of rationality, because he allows emotions to participate [Hursthouse on Aristotle]
The rational part of the soul is the desire for truth, understanding and recollection [Galen]
All thought is feeling, and rationality is the sensitive soul contemplating reasoning [La Mettrie]
Kantian 'intuition' is the bridge between pure reason and its application to sense experiences [Kant, by Friend]
When absorbed in deep reflection, is your reason in control, or is it you? [Feuerbach]
Reasoning involves observation, experiment, and habituation [Peirce]
Most of our intellectual activity is unconscious [Nietzsche]
Rationality is a scheme we cannot cast away [Nietzsche]
How can the ground of rationality be itself rational? [James]
It is rational to believe in reality, despite the lack of demonstrative reasons for it [Russell]
Absence of all rationality would be absence of thought [Davidson]
Ordinary rationality is conservative, starting from where your beliefs currently are [Harman]
In the instrumental view of rationality it only concerns means, and not ends [Nozick]
Rationality is normally said to concern either giving reasons, or reliability [Nozick]
Is it rational to believe a truth which leads to permanent misery? [Nozick]
Rationality needs some self-consciousness, to also evaluate how we acquired our reasons [Nozick]
Rationality has mental properties - autonomy, productivity, experiment [Fodor]
Only rational beings are attentive without motive or concern [Scruton]
Capturing all the common sense facts about rationality is almost impossible [Smith,M]
Stich accepts eliminativism (labelled 'pragmatism') about rationality and normativity [Stich, by Engel]
Consistency is the cornerstone of rationality [Baggini /Fosl]
Hegelian holistic rationality is the capacity to seek coherence [Hanna]
Humean Instrumental rationality is the capacity to seek contingent truths [Hanna]
Kantian principled rationality is recognition of a priori universal truths [Hanna]
Rational animals have a normative concept of necessity [Hanna]
One tradition says talking is the essence of rationality; the other says the essence is logic [Hanna]
Rationality is conformity to reasons that can be sustained even after scrutiny [Sen]
No one has yet devised a rationality test [New Sci.]