Synchronic requirements and diachronic permissions

Abstract

Reasoning is an activity of ours by which we come to satisfy synchronic requirements of rationality. However, reasoning itself is regulated by diachronic permissions of rationality. For each synchronic requirement there appears to be a corresponding diachronic permission, but the requirements and permissions are not related to each other in a systematic way. It is therefore a puzzle how reasoning according to permissions can systematically bring us to satisfy requirements.

Keywords:

• Reasoning
• rules
• static and dynamic rationality
• basing
• instrumental reasoning

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Michael Bratman for his extensive comments on this paper.

Notes

1. As Geoff Brennan pointed out to me.

2. As Kieran Setiya pointed out to me.