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Rational action in specific contexts

20 January, 2016 - 15:59

Our basic expression for the elements of action and decision is not merely manipulatable. It can also serve as a model or pattern for a series of transformations, each pertaining to a different major type of action. In the context of the transformations, the original expression also acquires a special meaning which is distinguishable from its role as a general model.

The six variations of the expression (again taking the circumstances of action as implicit) are (shown in Table 1.2):

Table 1.2 Six variations of the expression

A → X + Y

An ad hoc or "retail" decision

R → X + Y

The act of making a rule, or a "wholesale" decision

O → X+Y

Theactoforganizing,ora"superwholesale"decision

S → X + Y

The "act" of speaking

D → X + Y

The act of defining a word

T → X + Y

The act of translating

 

Each of these six variations can be manipulated in exactly the same ways as the basic expressions, but we need not go into this here.

Since the examples given above, in discussing the basic expression, were all drawn from the realm of ad hoc or retail decision-making, no specific discussion of A\rightarrow X+Y as one of the six variations of the general model is needed here.