The Sentiment of Rationality

E661613

philosophical essay work on philosophy of religion

"The Sentiment of Rationality" is an essay by philosopher William James that explores how our need for emotional satisfaction and psychological comfort shapes what we consider rational belief.

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All labels observed (1)

Label	Occurrences
The Sentiment of Rationality canonical	1

Statements (45)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	philosophical essay ⓘ work on philosophy of religion ⓘ
addresses	the human need for security in belief ⓘ the psychological basis of philosophical systems ⓘ the role of risk and uncertainty in belief ⓘ
argues	that a sense of rationality includes a feeling of mental rest and ease ⓘ that abstract systems can fail when they do not fit our concrete needs ⓘ that beliefs must satisfy both logical and emotional needs ⓘ that what seems rational is partly determined by temperament ⓘ
author	William James NERFINISHED ⓘ
countryOfOrigin	United States of America ⓘ surface form: United States
critiques	overly intellectualist accounts of rationality ⓘ
explores	how emotional satisfaction influences what is judged rational ⓘ limits of purely intellectual conceptions of rationality ⓘ the relation between intellectual justification and feeling ⓘ the role of psychological comfort in belief ⓘ
field	ethics ⓘ philosophy of mind ⓘ philosophy of religion ⓘ
hasConcept	practical consequences as a test of rationality ⓘ sentiment of rationality as a feeling of harmony between thought and world ⓘ temperament as a factor in philosophical belief ⓘ
includedIn	collections of William James’s philosophical essays ⓘ
influencedBy	American pragmatism ⓘ empiricism ⓘ psychology ⓘ
language	English ⓘ
mainTopic	emotion and reason ⓘ epistemology ⓘ pragmatism ⓘ psychological needs in belief formation ⓘ rational belief ⓘ
notableFor	anticipating themes in James’s later pragmatism ⓘ emphasizing the experiential aspect of rational belief ⓘ linking rationality to emotional and psychological satisfaction ⓘ
philosophicalSchool	pragmatism NERFINISHED ⓘ
philosophicalTheme	fallibilism about rational systems ⓘ pluralism about reasonable worldviews ⓘ the interplay of intellect, will, and feeling in belief ⓘ
relatedWork	Pragmatism NERFINISHED ⓘ The Varieties of Religious Experience NERFINISHED ⓘ The Will to Believe NERFINISHED ⓘ
usedIn	courses on American philosophy ⓘ debates about the nature of rationality ⓘ discussions of pragmatist theories of justification ⓘ

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

The Will to Believe and Other Essays in Popular Philosophy → hasEssay → The Sentiment of Rationality ⓘ