Rationality

Rationality, is purposive behavior, whether or not the means chosen to attain the purpose are appropriate or not. So, "purposive" and "rational" are essentially synonyms.

Even if the means chosen are not the most efficient ones or fail to secure the end at all, the consequences of an attempt to use such means do not change.


To lit a fire is rational, as it is a purposive action, purpose being to remove the darkness.

Yet, why will you lit a fire if you can simply switch on the electric bulb, (CFC now a days).

The answer to that "why" is dependent on situations. Yet the purpose is unchanged and unquestionable. it is rational and its consequence is the defeat of darkness. People were rational even before the first electric bulb was introduced. Edison invented electric bulb, not the rationality.

The Kerosene lamp in a villagers hut may not produce the exactly equal flashes the street lights of a metropolitan city produces, yet it produces light enough to defeat the darkness, and it shows the purposive mind of the villager.

Rationality, does not necessarily means simple, it can be wayward of simplicity.