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MrHen comments on Instrumental Rationality is a Chimera - Less Wrong
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Using a very informal definition of rationality as the opposite of irrationality, is there an irrational way to butter toast? If so, does it not imply a rational way to butter toast?
There is a rational way to butter toast but it has nothing to do with the rational way to conduct particle physics experiments.
"Nothing to do" is a bit unapproachable. The rational way to butter toast is related to the rational way to conduct particle physics in really mindless links (such as that they both exist; they both use the term "rational way"). My gut reaction is that there is a better link between the two but have not thought about it in length.
I suppose the first path I would explore is that the same principles I use to discover irrationality can easily be applied in both circumstances. To use two things from your list I am familiar with, brewing coffee and driving a car certainly have parallels that can be abstracted so as to apply things to both activities.
Namely, to be rational in either I have to define what success and failure mean. Then a system of measuring success and failure needs to be determined. And yada yada. I can keep going but I think the point is simply this: "rationality" applies to both and learning how to be rational with a cup of coffee should help me become a rational driver.
This may be a bit too abstract to qualify a counter-point to the phrase "nothing to do with".
But what is there in common? Inherently mysterious human mind?
Humans want buttered toast and knowledge of particle physics. Other than that I cannot think of anything else they have in common. If we are discussing beliefs about toast and particles then we are in the realm of epistemic rationality.