ABSTRACT
Beliefs and attitudes that most of us now consider irrational might have been perfectly rational in past times, given knowledge then available. Relativism denies the existence of any transcultural or universal truth, at least in particular areas such as ethics. There seems to be some analogy between the rational-nonrational dichotomy in the sphere of belief or ‘epistemic’ commitments, and the intention-prediction dichotomy in the sphere of action and practical commitments. Beliefs form an important part of our body of commitments, so it has been about the rationality of commitment. Plato and Aristotle wrote of courage, justice, temperance and practical wisdom; the Church added the Christian virtues of faith, hope and charity. Pascal mounts an argument for becoming a Catholic, aimed at people whose reason presents an insuperable obstacle to faith. Ethical evidentialism adds that it is morally wrong to believe anything without sufficient evidence.
