The rational method, or rationalism, seeks answers by the use of logical reasoning.In logical reasoning, premise statements describe facts or assumptions that are presumed to be true.An argument is a set of premise statements that are logically combined to yield a conclusion.The preceding example (Amy and the dark) demonstrates the rational method for answering questions, and it also demonstrates some of the limita-tions of the rational method. Although the logic is sound, there is still a chance that the conclusion is not true; that is, the real-world child Amy might not be afraid of the dark. Unless both of the premise statements are true, the conclu-sion is not necessarily true, even in a valid logical argument. One obvious problem comes from the universal assumption expressed in the first premise statement, “All 3-year-old children are afraid of the dark.” Although this statement might be accurate for most 3-year-olds, there is good reason to doubt that it is absolutely true for all 3-year-olds. Unless the premise state-ment is absolutely true, we cannot draw any conclusionp.11
we cannot draw any conclusion about Amy. Also, it is possible that we have been misinformed about Amy’s age. If she is actually 4 years old, then we cannot draw any logical conclusion about her fear of the dark. In general, the truth of any logical conclusion is founded on the truth of the premise statements. If any basic assumption or premise is incorrect, then we cannot have any confidence in the truth of the logical conclusion.A common application of the rational method occurs when people try to think through a problem before they try out different solutions. Suppose, for example, that you have an exam scheduled, but when you are ready to leave for campus, you discover that your car will not start. One response to this situation is to consider your options logically:1. You could call the AAA, but by the time they arrive and fix the car,p.11
probably will have missed the exam.p.11
how wet you will get as you move forward. However, this amount will be the same whether you zip along at 100 milesp.12
2. You could take the bus, but you do not have the schedule, so you are not sure if the bus can get you to campus on time.3. You could ask your neighbor to loan you her car for a few hours.Notice that instead of actually doing something, you are considering possibilities and consequences to find a logical solution to the problem.The following example is one of our favorite demonstrations of the rational method. As you read through the example, keep in mind that the entire process of trying to answer the question is based on logical reasoning. Imagine that you are standing in the doorway of one building on campus and need to get to another building 100 yards away. Unfortunately, it is pouring rain, and you have no raincoat or umbrella. Before you step out into the storm, take a minute to figure out the best strategy to keep yourself as dry as possible. Specifically, should you (a) run as fast as you can from one buildingp.12
or (b) walk at a slow and steady pace?Logically, as you move through the rain, there are two sources of getting wet: 1. The rain that is falling down on your head and shoulders 2. The rain in the air in front of you that you walk into as you move forwardLogically, the first source of wetness depends entirely on how long you are out in the rain. The more time you spend exposed, the more water will fall on you. On the other hand, the second source is independent of the length of time you are exposed. If you imagine the rain as suspended in the air, it is easy to see that your body will sweep a path or tunnel through the rain as you move from one shelter to another. The amount of rain contained in this tunnel determines how wet you will get as you move forward. However, this amount will be the same whether you zip along at 100 miles per hour or walk slowly at 1 mile per hour.We can now construct a logical argument based on these factsp.12
to answer the original question: • The faster you move, the less rain will fall on you (source 1). • The amount of rain you walk into (source 2) will be the same whether you run or walk. • The total amount of rain that hits you is the sum of the two sources.Therefore, your best bet for keeping as dry as possible is to move as fast as you can. In addition to demonstrating an application, the preceding example illustrates another limitation of the rational method. In the example, we assumed that there were only two sources of wetness. In fact, when you run through the rain, it is possible to get wet from splashing in puddles or slipping on a wet surface and falling. Because these possibilities were not considered, our conclusion might not be correct. In general, a logical conclusion is only valid for the specific situation described by the premise statements. If the premise statements are incomplete or do not totally represent the real-world situation, then the conclusion might not bep.12
accurate.p.12