ABSTRACT
We are rational creatures. We are beings upon whom demands of rationality are appropriate. We don’t always live up to those demands, though. In those cases, we fail to be rational, and it is fi tting to use the term ‘irrational’ to describe us in these cases. It is worth noting that when we fail the demands of rationality, it is different from how rocks, tadpoles, and gum fail to be rational. In fact, it is better to say they don’t fail to be rational; they just aren’t rational. So, for them, we use the term ‘arational.’ They don’t face the demands of rationality, but we do because we have minds that can move us to act, inspire us to create, and bring us to believe in ways that are responsible and directed.
