Irrationality is cognition, thinking, talking, or acting without rationality.
Irrationality often has a negative connotation, as thinking and actions that are less useful or more illogical than other more rational alternatives. The concept of irrationality is especially important in Albert Ellis's rational emotive behavior therapy, where it is characterized specifically as the tendency and leaning that humans have to act, emote and think in ways that are inflexible, unrealistic, absolutist and most importantly self-defeating and socially defeating and destructive.
However, irrationality is not always viewed as a negative. Much subject matter in literature can be seen as an expression of human longing for the irrational. The Romantics valued irrationality over what they perceived as the sterile, calculating and emotionless philosophy which they thought to have been brought about by the Age of Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution.Dada Surrealist art movements embraced irrationality as a means to "reject reason and logic". André Breton, for example, argued for a rejection of pure logic and reason which are seen as responsible for many contemporary social problems.
See also
- Absurdism
- Absurdity
- Irrationalism
Notes
- Mead, Margaret. Male and Female: The Classic Study of the Sexes (1949) Quill (HarperCollins) 1998 edition: ISBN 0-688-14676-7
- Fletcher, Joyce K. (1994). "Castrating the Female Advantage". Journal of Management Inquiry. 3: 74–82. doi:10.1177/105649269431012. S2CID 145589766.
- Ellis, Albert (2001). Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings, and Behaviors: New Directions for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. Prometheus Books.[page needed][ISBN missing]
- Kreis, Steven (4 August 2009). "Lecture 16: The Romantic Era". Historyguide.org. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
- Breton, André (1999) [First published 1924]. "Manifesto of Surrealism". ScreenSite. Archived from the original on 1 April 2009. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
References
- Stuart Sutherland Irrationality: Why We Don't Think Straight, 1992, reissued 2007 by Pinter & Martin ISBN 978-1-905177-07-3
- William B. Helmreich (2011). What Was I Thinking? The Dumb Things We Do and How to Avoid Them. Taylor. ISBN 978-1589795976.
- Lisa Bortolotti, Irrationality, Cambridge, Polity Press, 2014 [ISBN missing]
External links
- Craig R. M. McKenzie. Rational models as theories – not standards – of behavior. Trends in Cognitive Sciences Vol.7 No.9 September 2003
- REBT-CBT NET – Internet Guide to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Irrationality is cognition thinking talking or acting without rationality Irrationality often has a negative connotation as thinking and actions that are less useful or more illogical than other more rational alternatives The concept of irrationality is especially important in Albert Ellis s rational emotive behavior therapy where it is characterized specifically as the tendency and leaning that humans have to act emote and think in ways that are inflexible unrealistic absolutist and most importantly self defeating and socially defeating and destructive However irrationality is not always viewed as a negative Much subject matter in literature can be seen as an expression of human longing for the irrational The Romantics valued irrationality over what they perceived as the sterile calculating and emotionless philosophy which they thought to have been brought about by the Age of Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution Dada Surrealist art movements embraced irrationality as a means to reject reason and logic Andre Breton for example argued for a rejection of pure logic and reason which are seen as responsible for many contemporary social problems See alsoAbsurdism Absurdity IrrationalismNotesMead Margaret Male and Female The Classic Study of the Sexes 1949 Quill HarperCollins 1998 edition ISBN 0 688 14676 7 Fletcher Joyce K 1994 Castrating the Female Advantage Journal of Management Inquiry 3 74 82 doi 10 1177 105649269431012 S2CID 145589766 Ellis Albert 2001 Overcoming Destructive Beliefs Feelings and Behaviors New Directions for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Prometheus Books page needed ISBN missing Kreis Steven 4 August 2009 Lecture 16 The Romantic Era Historyguide org Retrieved 8 December 2012 Breton Andre 1999 First published 1924 Manifesto of Surrealism ScreenSite Archived from the original on 1 April 2009 Retrieved 29 January 2014 ReferencesStuart Sutherland Irrationality Why We Don t Think Straight 1992 reissued 2007 by Pinter amp Martin ISBN 978 1 905177 07 3 William B Helmreich 2011 What Was I Thinking The Dumb Things We Do and How to Avoid Them Taylor ISBN 978 1589795976 Lisa Bortolotti Irrationality Cambridge Polity Press 2014 ISBN missing External linksWikiquote has quotations related to Irrationality Look up irrationality in Wiktionary the free dictionary Craig R M McKenzie Rational models as theories not standards of behavior Trends in Cognitive Sciences Vol 7 No 9 September 2003 REBT CBT NET Internet Guide to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
