If you have ever asked someone who had just purchased a Mercedes, why they chose to purchase that particular vehicle, you might be excused for thinking it was a rational decision. If you have ever asked someone why they voted the way they did at the last federal election, you could be forgiven for thinking […]

If you have ever asked someone who had just purchased a Mercedes, why they chose to purchase that particular vehicle, you might be excused for thinking it was a rational decision. If you have ever asked someone why they voted the way they did at the last federal election, you could be forgiven for thinking that it was a rational decision, or at least a decision based on facts. The fact is however neither decision was entirely rational and in most cases it was not at all rational. So, if it was not rational, what was it? Here is another example. If you have ever asked someone who is religious, why they believe what they do, you could be excused (although I would not excuse you) for thinking it is based on a rational view. The fact is however, it is a view or decision based on faith. Noam Chomsky…