[lit-ideas] Re: Rational Choice Philosophy
- From: Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:46:10 EDT
In a message dated 6/21/2011 12:15:43 P.M., john.mccreery@xxxxxxxxx writes:
an alternative to the "collectivist" ideals associated, during the Cold
War, with socialism and communism. Neither the article nor the book reviewed
supports this position, which makes references to Hume or Kant a bit beside
the point. In contrast Geary's "unAmerican" seems spot on.
---
McCreery never sees my posts, so why should I bother? In any case, I think
Geary is simplifying. Rawls, for example, and his collectivist model of
'freedom' is _VERY_ American, and hardly 'rational choice'. It may be that the
value of "American Americanness" -- e.g. the ideal of freedom, or liberty,
or equality -- are NOT dependent on 'rational choice'.
It _is_ a fact, though, that Schelling -- who created all this with his
"theory of conflict" did develop "homo aeconomicus" along American lines.
As it happens, "rational choice" philosophy is Griceian -- to the backbone.
But Grice wants to analyse the pre-rational basis for rationality.
So, I agree with all that R. Paul says about 'rational' per se being pretty
meaningless (Grice's example: "The price of the shoes is reasonable, not
irrational"). It depends on _desires_ being reasonable, and again, with a
caveat as to what level we are talking about.
R. Paul brings Frankfurt into the bargain. But Watson, in his "Personal
Identity" (Oxford readings in philosophy), applying Grice's early "Personal
identity" (1941, Mind) notes that one's higher-order desires do NOT
constitute one's "I" in the sense (or way) that ground-floor desires do. So
this is
a complication.
------ In general, I prefer to think that it was D. F. Pears, rather than
Davidson, who popularised 'rational choice' philosophy in Oxford, with the
naive claim that causes are reasons.
And so on.
So the context goes beyond American or unAmerican. American or not, if you
must.
Cheers.
JL Speranza
------ ref. "Grape sours?"
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