No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 April 2020
Cushman's theory has implications for the philosophical debate about the nature of folk psychological states, for it entails realism about propositional attitudes. I point out a tension within his view and suggest a different view upon which rationalization emerges as a consequence of the adaptiveness of mentalizing. This alternative avoids the strong metaphysical implications of Cushman's theory.
Target article
Rationalization is rational
Related commentaries (26)
Antecedent rationalization: Rationalization prior to action
Belief as a non-epistemic adaptive benefit
Cognitive dissonance processes serve an action-oriented adaptive function
Evidence for the rationalisation phenomenon is exaggerated
Ex ante coherence shifts
Hard domains, biased rationalizations, and unanswered empirical questions
Heroes of our own story: Self-image and rationalizing in thought experiments
Ideology, shared moral narratives, and the dark side of collective rationalization
Letting rationalizations out of the box
Means and ends of habitual action
Quantifying the prevalence and adaptiveness of behavioral rationalizations
Rational rationalization and System 2
Rationalization and self-sabotage
Rationalization and the status of folk psychology
Rationalization enables cooperation and cultural evolution
Rationalization in the pejorative sense: Cushman's account overlooks the scope and costs of rationalization
Rationalization is a suboptimal defense mechanism associated with clinical and forensic problems
Rationalization is irrational and self-serving, but useful
Rationalization is rare, reasoning is pervasive
Rationalization may improve predictability rather than accuracy
Rationalization of emotion is also rational
Rationalization: Why, when, and what for?
Rationalizations primarily serve reputation management, not decision making
The rationale of rationalization
The social function of rationalization: An identity perspective
What kind of rationalization is system justification?
Author response
Rationalization as representational exchange: Scope and mechanism