Question
Description
Social psychologists, such as Jonathan Hidt in “the Righteous Mind” argue that humans are not as rational as philosophers like Plato or Aristotle claim humans are. (Read also the little section “Philosophy and Life, Is Human Nature Irrational?” for other examples of irrationality). These Psychologists point out that we all tend to make certain mistakes when thinking quickly. Would that mean that the rationalistic version of the traditional account of human nature is wrong? Consider also that sometimes our intuitions or emotions such as empathy can lead us to happier results than cold reasons. Does this signal a problem with the mentioned rationalistic view of human nature? Whatever your thesis, give examples and reasons for it and answer to possible objections.
Solution
Rationality
In a traditional philosophical view drawing back from Plato and Aristotle and continued by Immanuel Kant and other thinkers, human beings are different from other animals because they are rational. However, social psychologists such as Jonathan Hidt argue that the rationalistic view of human nature is wrong (Hidt, 2012). Considering how people think about socially and politically fraught issues such as taxation, crime, and sexuality, these psychologists view human moral reasoning as irrational, incoherent, and contradictory. Moreover, they argue that rather than arriving at objective or consistent truth, social adaptions developed to ensure reproduction and survival cause human beings’ inclination to reasoning about right and wrong. Furthermore, as social psychologists argue, irrelevant factors such as unconscious motivation and gut feelings will always influence us. However, although human being’s moral capacities cannot be considered perfect, they often practice objective moral reasoning; thus, they are sometimes rational.
At first, the psychologists’ view that moral reasoning is impossible is wrong. Human beings can sometimes arrive at uncomfortable moral positions, such as when one decides to go without something they really like when it’s better that way. For instance, going against meat for better health while…………for help with this assignment contact us via Email Address: consulttutor10@gmail.com