In contemporary philosophy and social science the features of rationality play a new significant role in the theory of mind, language, action, decision theory and in questions of cross cultural understanding. The approaches do not conceive of rationality as a subjective a priori principle of reasoning; they present a different attitude towards questions of conceptualizing rationality, and this is a first step towards contextualized understanding of rationality. We can only grasp what rationality means in this way.
Rationality is not given but is rather a result of our conceptualizing and a matter of contextualization and this is also a question of rationalization of means for our personal and our collective goals. The reader presents an outline on contemporary orientations about the subject of understanding "rationality" along the main topics in philosophy, theory of language, and social science. Topics are radical interpretation, naturalized epistemology and normativity; intentions and the social aspects of rationality; and concepts of explanation, justification and reality.
Introduction: Problems, Concepts and Theories of Rationality
John Heil
The Propositional Attitudes
David K. Henderson
Epistemic Rationality, Epistemic Motivation, and Interpretive Charity
Gerhard Preyer
Interpretation and Rationality: Steps from Radical Interpretation to the Externalism of Triangulation
Roger F. Gibson
Stich on Intentionality and Rationality
Paul K. Moser and David Yandell
Against Naturalizing Rationality
Harvey Siegel
Naturalism, Instrumental Rationality, and the Normativity of Epistemology
Alfred R. Mele
Rational Intentions and the Toxin Puzzle
Peter Gärdenfors
The Social Stance
Timo Airaksinen and Katri Kaalikoski
Instrumental Rationality
Raimo Tuomela
Rational Cooperation and Collective Goals
Peter French
Rationality and Ethics
Julian Nida-Rümelin
The Plurality of Good Reasons and the Theory of Practical Rationality
Philip Pettit
Three Aspects of Rational Explanation
Keith Lehrer
Rationality and Trustworthiness
Alexander Ulfig
Validity, Justification and Rationality
Nicholas Rescher
Reason and Reality
Mentis Verlag
Reihe: "Perspektiven der Analytischen
Philosophie",
Paderborn
2000