Further Considerations of the Most Explanatory Theory of Rationality*: Does It Do Justice to Rationality and Humanity?

This chapter contends that the best theory of rationality (qualified in the text by an asterisk “*,” which is to be dropped) is that with the greatest explanatory power EP as stipulated herein. It can be considered as the one atop a tree of explanatory theories. The fact that the nodes in the tree depict a hierarchy among the various senses indicates a crucial point: This top node takes into account the need and rightful place for the “subservient” positions in the inclusive theory that includes both the top node and the hierarchy of the subservient ones. In this manner, the (top-node) theory with the greatest EP turns out to retain many of the common intuitions about what rationality consists in. Further, this inclusiveness should do maximal fairness to humanity not only in offering criteria for assessing theories of rationality as they arise but also in strengthening the millennial ongoing project promoting rationality.