John C. Medaille wrote:
>
I think there is a big mistake in trying to
confound logic with the whole of reason. Everyone
who acts, acts for a purpose and hence has a
reason for his actions. But to say that the
reason is arrived at by a chain of logical
deductions is inaccurate. Humans act from a
complex of hierarchically ordered desires, and
actions generally appear to each actor as
rational at the time the action is performed but
may appear to another observer, even the same
person at another time, as irrational.
>


I want to thank John Medaille for his post, and Mason Gaffney for bringing in a unique perspective to many discussions. Professor Gaffney grounds economics firmly and soundly in its social context.  

I would also be interested in knowing from people who have studied this as to what John Stuart Mill had to say about the role of logic and ratiocination in the development/construction of science. Thanks in advance.

Sumitra Shah