Rational animal
The term rational animal (Latin: animal rationale or animal rationabile) refers to a classical definition of humanity or human nature, associated with Aristotelianism.[1]
History
While the Latin term itself originates in
The
The definition of man as a rational animal was common in
In Meditation II of
Shall I say 'a rational animal'? No; for then I should have to inquire what an animal is, what rationality is, and in this one question would lead me down the slope to other harder ones.[7]
Modern use
Neo-Kantian philosopher
Sociologists in the tradition of Max Weber distinguish rational behavior (means-end oriented) from irrational, emotional or confused behavior, as well as from traditional-oriented behavior, but recognise the wide role of all the latter types in human life.[10]
Ethnomethodology sees rational human behavior as representing perhaps one-tenth of the human condition, dependent on the nine-tenths of background assumptions which provide the frame for means-end decision making.[11]
In his An Outline of Intellectual Rubbish, Bertrand Russell argues against the idea that man is rational, saying "Man is a rational animal — so at least I have been told. Throughout a long life I have looked diligently for evidence in favour of this statement, but so far I have not had the good fortune to come across it."[12]
See also
- Communicative rationality
- Donald Davidson
- Economic man
- Erasmus
- Genus-differentia definition
- Neocortex
- Reality principle
- Thomas Paine
- John von Neumann
- Behavioural science
References
- ^ "Animal Cognition". The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. 2021.
- ^ Aristotle, Ethics (1976) p. 75 and p. 88.
- ^ B. P. Stigum, Econometrics and the Philosophy of Economics (2003) p. 194.
- ^ Stigum, p. 198.
- ^ L. Johnson, Power Knowledge Animals (2012) p. 80.
- ^ a b One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Man". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- ^ The Philosophical Writings of Descartes Volume II. Translated by John Cottingham, Robert Stoothoff, Dugald Murdoch. Cambridge University Press. 1984.
- ^ S. Freud, On Psychopathology (PFL 10) p. 247.
- ^ D. Attenborough, Life on Earth (1992), ch. 13.
- Alfred Schutz, The Phenomenology of the Social World (1997) p. 240.
- ^ A. Giddens, Positivism and Sociology (1974) p. 72.
- OCLC 3656132.