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**Angeheade** · 01-13-2012, 05:02 AM

Presumptively goal x is chosen with goal z in mind, goal z being that person's inculcated beliefs about what's generally most valuable in life. Now, how was goal z chosen? From life experiences, from friends and family, from other goals. And where did those other goals come from? Still other goals/priorities, and it's turtles all the way down. Possibly, if you really dig into it, goal z winds up justifying goal z to some extent. But even if you take the time to precisely order your whole philosophy of life so that everything from the person you marry to the shoes you wear ultimately fits into one single end goal...how is that end goal "rationally" chosen?

I don't see how you could rationally pick an "end goal". When it comes to intermediate goals that are a means to whatever your end goals are you can definitely pick them rationally, and I think physical fitness or eating a donut are intermediate goals, not end goals. And if someone tries to go on a diet, they are showing that physical fitness better suits their end goals than eating a donut. If they eat the donut anyway they have behaved irrationally.

01-13-2012, 05:02 AM	#24
Angeheade Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 679 Senior Member	Presumptively goal x is chosen with goal z in mind, goal z being that person's inculcated beliefs about what's generally most valuable in life. Now, how was goal z chosen? From life experiences, from friends and family, from other goals. And where did those other goals come from? Still other goals/priorities, and it's turtles all the way down. Possibly, if you really dig into it, goal z winds up justifying goal z to some extent. But even if you take the time to precisely order your whole philosophy of life so that everything from the person you marry to the shoes you wear ultimately fits into one single end goal...how is that end goal "rationally" chosen? I don't see how you could rationally pick an "end goal". When it comes to intermediate goals that are a means to whatever your end goals are you can definitely pick them rationally, and I think physical fitness or eating a donut are intermediate goals, not end goals. And if someone tries to go on a diet, they are showing that physical fitness better suits their end goals than eating a donut. If they eat the donut anyway they have behaved irrationally.
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