Practical reason and social science research 1

Abstract

Are there any philosophical questions about practical reason or reasoning that might be illuminated by work in the social sciences? In this chapter, we consider three possibilities. 1) Are moral judgments rational? We examine various ways of interpreting this question and whether the empirical debate about the role of sentiments in moral judgment has any relevance. 2) What is the connection between reason and action? We discuss research on the degree to which our actions are explained by reasoning as opposed to factors we do not regard as reasons and whether the answer matters philosophically. 3) How can we reason better? We examine biases, heuristics, and strategies for overcoming bias in our reasoning.

Topics & Concepts