Theory of Rational Frameworks

The systematic study of how rational frameworks operate, how they're constructed, how they change, and how they relate to culture, power, and history. The Theory of Rational Frameworks argues that rationality is not a single, universal standard but a family of related practices, each with its own logic, its own history, its own domain of applicability. It examines how rational frameworks are learned (through socialization, education, practice), how they're maintained (through institutions, norms, authority), how they change (through historical shifts, cultural contact, paradigm shifts), and how they're related to power (whose rationality dominates, whose is marginalized). The theory doesn't claim that all rational frameworks are equally good; it claims that rationality is plural, situated, and historical—and that understanding this is essential for understanding human reasoning.

Example: "He'd thought rationality was the same for everyone, everywhere. The Theory of Rational Frameworks showed him otherwise: different times, different places, different rationalities. Medieval rationality wasn't failed modern rationality; it was different rationality altogether. Understanding that didn't make judgment impossible; it made judgment more careful."

Theory of Rational Frameworks by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 9, 2026