How Rational Are We?

Humans have long been celebrated as rational beings—capable of reasoning, problem-solving, and making logical decisions. Philosophers from Aristotle to Descartes have emphasized reason as a defining human trait. Yet modern research in psychology, behavioral economics, and neuroscience paints a more complicated picture. We are prone to cognitive biases, emotional reasoning, and mental shortcuts that often lead to irrational outcomes. At the same time, these so-called “irrationalities” may serve adaptive purposes, helping us survive and function in complex, uncertain environments.

• To what extent can we separate reason from emotion when making decisions?
• How do cognitive biases like confirmation bias or loss aversion reflect the limits of human rationality?
• Can moral decisions be made purely through reason, or do they inherently require an emotional component?
• How does our understanding of rationality affect how we approach debates, disagreements, or public policy?
• Do you think striving for pure rationality is a realistic or even worthwhile goal?

Humans Are Emotional – Not Rational https://studioq.com/blog/2024/12/27/humans-are-emotionalnot-rational

A Rational Look at Irrationality https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9CXyNkAYEc
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In addition to the main topic (above), we also provide breakout rooms at 8pm as follows:
“Philosophy” – philosophy and its applications
“Town Square” – politics and current events
“Conference Room” – open for anything
“The Lounge” – light social chat