ot only the intellect but also the will…the will is also required to give assent to something that is perceived in some way’ Here Descartes observes that when we make judgements we have to also decide what is worthy of our judgement. A scientist will him/herself decide which aspect of a situation to concentrate on, thus determining what is evidence. Even the greatest scientific theories began as someone’s opinion. S. J. Tambiah highlights this further by stating that ‘”Rationalization” is a kind of adaptive mechanism that by contrast shapes the perception of a situation itself rather than its evaluation.’ What does this say for rationality when the epitome of the concept is not without problems? Science, as it is unable to free itself from human subjectivity, is not an objective process, and it is also why there are many conflicting theories in the field. The largest criticism that can be pointed at rationality is not how we use it but rather the apparent self-evident truths that compose our definition of it. Rationality as a function seeks to observe and make judgements on things in an unbiased manner; however our very notions on what observation, judgement and unbiased are, are inevitably tied up in our own opinions. It is impossible to detach prejudice, expectations and cultural upbringing from beliefs and perceptions, even apparent self-evident ones.Evans-Pritchard in his ethnographic text ‘Witchcraft Oracles and Magic Among the Azande’ wrote about the Azande people of Sudan. The belief in witches and witchcraft was an integral part of Azande life at this time. Evans-Pritchard gives the example of when an old granary collapses, killing or injuring somebody resting beneath it. He stresses that Zande people know that termites eat away at the wood, and that in the heat the granary provides shade. The Azande people however seek to determine why at that point that partic...
