I don't think it's about persuasion, more about figuring out all the different options and seeing the patterns in things. Which, applied to life in general, makes one think about where we come from, where we go after death and what we're here for, hence your idea of what philosophy's like?
Mais le bon sens est au monde la chose la mieux partagée (Descartes). People aren't irrational, they have a limited rationality, ie, they always take the best possible decision given what they know and what they want. It may seem irrational if, for instance, they're thinking on a short term basis - going into debt does mean immediate material gratification - but it's not. And of course if they're stupid they won't take the same kind of decisions either, but it would still be rational to them.
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Date: 2007-04-19 10:54 am (UTC)Mais le bon sens est au monde la chose la mieux partagée (Descartes). People aren't irrational, they have a limited rationality, ie, they always take the best possible decision given what they know and what they want. It may seem irrational if, for instance, they're thinking on a short term basis - going into debt does mean immediate material gratification - but it's not. And of course if they're stupid they won't take the same kind of decisions either, but it would still be rational to them.
English Humour 101 would be great.