Project description
Exploring the body’s rationality
The standard conception of rationality is that following reason and norms of logic is a reliable path to knowledge and well-being. However, empirical research has shown that irrationality is occasionally preferable to rationality. The EU-funded RIF project is proposing a novel solution to the problem of knowledge- and well-being-conducive irrationality by taking the body into account. It hypothesises that the body has its own kind of rationality that works alongside intellectual reasoning. The hypothesis will be developed and tested by analysing the paragon cases of irrationality with positive and negative outcomes. This work will help to promote European excellence in research and deal with irrationality in policymaking.
Objective
This project aims to propose a novel solution to the problem of knowledge- and wellbeing-conducive irrationality. Empirical research shows that irrationality is sometimes preferable to rationality: even simplest decisions, like choosing a meal from menu, cannot be made by emotionless cost-benefit analysis alone only; religious faith helps to recover from surgery and is conducive to mental health; faith in success of a relationship makes it more successful, and even the capacity for moral agency requires empathy. These findings challenge a standard conception of rationality, according to which following reason and norms of logic is a reliable path to knowledge and wellbeing.
I argue that solution to this problem is to take body into account. Traditional approaches in psychology and philosophy often ignore human body. However, numerous findings suggest that body affects our cognition and decision-making through emotions, intuitions, etc., that often go unnoticed by our conscious mind. When offered to choose an object, people prefer that on their right hand side without realising that. Such circumstances, as left and right, insubstantial for rational decision-making, have crucial importance for our body. Bodily influence is structured and predictable, thus I hypothesise that body has its own kind of rationality, working in parallel to intellectual reasoning.
This study will develop and test this hypothesis by analysing the paragon cases of irrationality with positive and negative outcomes. It will go to the flesh and bone of cognition in order to reveal the basic structures of what is deemed irrational according to the standard concept. This project will open new research horizons on two levels: the ground-breaking methodological approach, combining the cutting-edge embodied method and legacy of pragmatic philosophy will be applied to the representative cases of irrationality. This will involve a novel re-reading of the empirical material of cognitive science, religious studies, and psychology, challenging traditional ideas about human cognition and developing a novel theory of irrationality, thus promoting European excellence in research and practical dealing with irrationality in policy making.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine surgery
- social sciences psychology
- humanities philosophy, ethics and religion philosophy
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
751 05 Uppsala
Sweden
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.