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(2018) Synthese 195 (2).
Comparing the axiomatic and ecological approaches to rationality
fundamental agreement theorems in scop
Patricia Rich
pp. 529-547
There are two prominent viewpoints regarding the nature of rationality and how it should be evaluated in situations of interest: the traditional axiomatic approach and the newer ecological rationality. An obstacle to comparing and evaluating these seemingly opposite approaches is that they employ different language and formalisms, ask different questions, and are at different stages of development. I adapt a formal framework known as SCOP to address this problem by providing a comprehensive common framework in which both approaches may be defined and compared. The main result is that the axiomatic and ecological approaches are in far greater agreement on fundamental issues than has been appreciated; this is supported by a pair of theorems to the effect that they will make accordant rationality judgements when forced to evaluate the same situation. I conclude that ecological rationality has some subtle advantages, but that we should move past the issues currently dominating the discussion of rationality.
Publication details
DOI: 10.1007/s11229-014-0584-1
Full citation:
Rich, P. (2018). Comparing the axiomatic and ecological approaches to rationality: fundamental agreement theorems in scop. Synthese 195 (2), pp. 529-547.
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