rationality
Logic in thinking
Rationality is the quality of being guided by reason rather than emotion or impulse.
It implies logical thinking, sound judgment, and decisions based on evidence: She admired his rationality in a crisis.
In philosophy and economics, rationality often means acting to maximize one's interests given available information—though what counts as rational varies by context and who's defining it.
Drawing logical conclusions
- deductionConclusion from premises
- inferenceConclusion reached through reasoning
- syllogismFormal deductive argument structure
- premiseFoundation for logical argument
argumentation · induction · cognition · theorem · axiom · postulate · proposition · dialectic
Facts supporting truth
- observationAttentive watching or remark
- verificationProving something accurate
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- analysisMethodical study of parts
measurement · data · quantification · hypothesis · methodology · sampling · replication · falsification
Theory of knowledge
- EnlightenmentEra prioritizing reason over dogma
- empiricismKnowledge through observation
- DescartesCogito ergo sum's author
- KantGerman Enlightenment thinker
logos · skepticism · foundationalism · positivism · scientism · naturalism · reductionism · materialism
Keen perception and judgment
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
- impartialityFreedom from prejudice
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
evaluation · weighing · consideration · objectivity · fairness · wisdom · circumspection · judiciousness
Logical internal consistency
- lucidityClearness of mind
- precisionAccuracy of measurement
- explicitnessQuality of being unambiguous
- consistencyReliable adherence to standards
transparency · intelligibility · articulation · perspicuity · orderliness · rigor · exactness · definiteness
Quality of being useful
- efficiencyProductive without waste
- utilitarianismGreatest-happiness moral theory
- realismAccepting things as they are
- commonsensePractical everyday reasoning
feasibility · cost-benefit · effectiveness · optimization · trade-off · resourcefulness · instrumentality · expediency
reasoning
Drawing logical conclusions
- deductionConclusion from premises
- inferenceConclusion reached through reasoning
- syllogismFormal deductive argument structure
premise · argumentation · induction · cognition · theorem · axiom · postulate · proposition · dialectic · extrapolation
evidence
Facts supporting truth
- observationAttentive watching or remark
- verificationProving something accurate
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
analysis · measurement · data · quantification · hypothesis · methodology · sampling · replication · falsification · objectivity
epistemology
Theory of knowledge
- EnlightenmentEra prioritizing reason over dogma
- empiricismKnowledge through observation
- DescartesCogito ergo sum's author
Kant · logos · skepticism · foundationalism · positivism · scientism · naturalism · reductionism · materialism · secularism
discernment
Keen perception and judgment
- deliberationCareful weighing of choices
- prudenceCareful, wise judgment
- impartialityFreedom from prejudice
assessment · evaluation · weighing · consideration · objectivity · fairness · wisdom · circumspection · judiciousness · level-headed
coherence
Logical internal consistency
- lucidityClearness of mind
- precisionAccuracy of measurement
- explicitnessQuality of being unambiguous
consistency · transparency · intelligibility · articulation · perspicuity · orderliness · rigor · exactness · definiteness
practicality
Quality of being useful
- efficiencyProductive without waste
- utilitarianismGreatest-happiness moral theory
- realismAccepting things as they are
commonsense · feasibility · cost-benefit · effectiveness · optimization · trade-off · resourcefulness · instrumentality · expediency · satisficing
- freethoughtfreethought, free thought, free inquiry, critical thinking, secular humanism
- thinkingthinking, reasoning, thought, ponder, contemplate
- cognitionthinking, reasoning, thought, cognition, remembering
- human naturehuman nature, emotions, instincts, human condition, desires
- mental claritymental clarity, lucidity, clear thinking, clear head, clear-headedness
- reasoningreasoning, logic, inference, deductive, analysis
rationalityirrationality
Absence of logic
illogicality · unreason · absurdity · unreasonableness · senselessness
rationalityinsanity
Severe mental illness
madness · craziness · lunacy · derangement · psychosis
rationalityemotionality
Capacity for strong feelings
impulsiveness · impulsivity · passion · whim · caprice
rationalize, rationalism, irrationality, rationalist, rationalization, rationalizing, rationalized, rationalistic, rationalizes