Rational Optimism.

Philosophia (Ramat Gan)

Human Flourishing Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA.

Published: July 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • - Philosophers have criticized optimistic beliefs as irrational, but this paper argues that some forms of optimism can be rational and supported by evidence, specifically focusing on resourced optimism and agentive optimism.
  • - The authors introduce a four-fold taxonomy of optimism, clarifying how different types can be evaluated differently: while two forms can be epistemically justified, the fourth type (perspectival optimism) is better assessed on practical and moral standards.
  • - By advancing the discussion on optimism in philosophical and psychological fields, the paper identifies cases of justified optimism that contrast unrealistic optimism and emphasizes the need for more research on these concepts.

Article Abstract

Optimistic beliefs have been criticized by philosophers as being irrational or epistemically deficient. This paper argues for the possibility of a rational optimism. We propose a novel four-fold taxonomy of optimistic beliefs and argue that people may hold optimistic beliefs rationally for at least two of the four types (resourced optimism and agentive optimism). These forms of rational optimism are grounded in facts about one's resources and agency and may be epistemically justified under certain conditions. We argue that the fourth type of optimism in our taxonomy (perspectival optimism) is not subject to epistemic scrutiny in the same way. It is better evaluated on practical and moral grounds. This paper advances the discussion of optimism within both the philosophical and psychological literatures by providing a compelling and philosophically rich taxonomy of optimism that clarifies the sometimes-competing forms of optimism identified by psychologists. This advances the field by putting forward cases of epistemically justified optimism, in contrast with unrealistic optimism, that is sometimes justified for its instrumental or adaptive characteristics, and also by highlighting a form of optimism, perspectival optimism, that is not being considered in the mainstream optimism literature in psychology. The paper concludes by suggesting several avenues for future empirical and philosophical research.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11420386PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11406-024-00758-wDOI Listing

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