Rationalization

Overview

Rationalization, or supportive/post-hoc justification, is the process of creating of expounding a rational-sounding explanation to support a predetermined conclusion.

Rationalizations typically cherry-pick their premises, ignoring key pieces of information which would otherwise lead to a different conclusion.

As an Accusation

Rationalists are often accused of being rationalizers, and rational arguments are often accused of being mere rationalizations.

Any factual explanation necessarily involves a reasoned argument. If that reasoning is irrational in some way, then identifying the irrationality is a valid refutation of the argument. If no irrationality can be identified, then calling it a "rationalization" is not really justifiable.

Although rationalists (i.e. people who are trying to think and behave rationally) are quite capable of making rationalizations, the mere accusation of such is not a valid refutation and is arguably a form of rhetorical deception in that it distracts attention from the substance of the argument by interposing the emotionally-laden question of the speaker's credibility.

The only legitimate criticism of an argument claiming to be rational is to identify some part of it which is irrational or inaccurate.

Links

Reference

• Wikipedia
• RationalWiki no information as of 2009-07-26
• Conservapedia no information as of 2009-07-26
• dKosopedia no equivalent page as of 2009-07-26; see Defense mechanism
• SourceWatch no information as of 2009-07-26