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"rationality" vs "rationalism"

30 Oct 2021 - 16 Dec 2022
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    • Well that's kind of embarassing – I wrote tons of stuff about Rationalism without realizing that it is a label eschewed by rationalists themselves:
      • To call something an “ism” suggests that it is a matter ideology or faith, like Trotskyism or creationism....So, my suggestion is to use "rationality" consistently and to avoid using "rationalism". Via similarity to "scientist" and "physicist", "rationalist" doesn't seem to have the same problem
    • This is entirely in keeping with their philosophy and style. They are anti-ideology, just as they are anti-political (see antipolitics). It sort of explains why they keep getting in political hot water; they refuse to acknowledge the political implications of their belief system (which they deny having).
    • Naturally I think it's horseshit, and probably even the rationalists realize the paradox of having a movement (and a cult) that claims to not have an ideology.
    • I've used "rationalism" and not "rationality" because I am critiquing an ideology. "Rationality" is not something I am opposed to, and it isn't well-defined enough to critique. "Rationalism" (that is, the beliefs and practices of Berkeley Rationalists) is a particular approach to rationality which I think is pretty broken and for it to claim that it is identical to rationality simpliciter is just pretentiousness.