Functions and Disfunctions of Irrational Thinking

Abstract

The terms “rationality” and “rationalism” are often considered to be synonyms which is a mistake. “Rationality” means certain property of thinking while “rationalism” – philosophical current. It is the same case with the terms “irrationality” (characteristic psycho-biological and social phenomenon) and “irrationalism” (certain theoretical and mental position). Many researchers claim that rationality and reasoning are definitive properties of thinking which is also a mistake. Thinking is a set of activities that are supposed to solve problems (motivational tensions) generated by so-called motivational system. Reasoning constitutes only one of subsets of thinking. We call thinking rational when it manages to solve a problem in an optimal way. Rational thinking relies (among others) on finding patterns in a world that surrounds us. This tendency, however, often leads to finding false patterns and formulating false beliefs based on them. A huge number of false beliefs and thinking errors which we fall victims to every day seems to suggest that being rational is not our “default setting”.