Philosophy Now Forum

What is the difference between being rational and being explainable? Isn't everything rational explainable and everything explainable rational? I mean explainable in the scientific sense.

Rational pertains to the mind while explainable is more general.

PhilX

Jaded Sage wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2015 7:57 pm What is the difference between being rational and being explainable? Isn't everything rational explainable and everything explainable rational? I mean explainable in the scientific sense.

There are explanations that can be made outside of rational thought. Explanation can exceed the boundaries of rational thought. Explanation can be according to empiricism or according to belief.

How can a paradox be explained other than by belief in the irrational?

How can a counterintuitive science experiment be explained other than by the physical or by a belief in the physical?

you could explain it by claiming that being rational is dependent on the ability to be expressed fractionally but that might require more explanation...

-Imp

Jaded Sage wrote: ↑Mon Nov 16, 2015 7:57 pm What is the difference between being rational and being explainable? Isn't everything rational explainable and everything explainable rational? I mean explainable in the scientific sense.

If confined to the scientific sense only, there is not much difference between 'rational' and 'explainable'.
However the ultimate context in this sense is' rational' is the the main set, while 'explainable' is the subset of rationality, i.e. to to be rational it has to be explainable in addition to all the conditions, processes and features of the Scientific Method.

However in other senses, rational and explainable can be vastly different, e.g. a priest can explain the doctrines of his theistic religion to a follower, but what is explainable in this case could be irrational. Example 'God exists' is based fundamentally on faith not on proof nor reason [rational].

Irrational can be no more than subjective interpretation based upon simple ignorance
When the irrational thing in question is adequately explained it then becomes rational

Rational is what explains.

Explainable is what can be explained, which is not everything.