gandalf@hogpd.UUCP (10/27/83)
By operational definition of rational, I mean one by which person A can use the definition to determine with certainty if person B is rational (or behaving rationally). A definition which can be applied to measure the degree, size, amount, etc. of something. My evidence that Tom Craver's definition of reality is not operational is that it is not sufficient (as far as I can see) for the people of Flakeville to determine if Mr. Rational is indeed being rational. I agree that reality is the final arbitrator when rational people have conflicting evidence, but how the hell do you determine what reality is? The wall is real (at least for me) because if I hit my head against it, my head hurts (maybe I should stop doing that). However, is the universe REALLY infinite? Newtonian mechanics would be real to any rational person in the 1800s since all evidence supported it. Only problem is it's wrong. So with out a way to determine reality, rational people can have contradictory evidence, and hence take conflicting courses of action, without a means to resolve the conflict (at least in a reasonable amount of time). Monty Estis hogpd!gandalf