All 3 Uses of
rational
in
War and Peace
- To Bolkonski so many people appeared contemptible and insignificant creatures, and he so longed to find in someone the living ideal of that perfection toward which he strove, that he readily believed that in Speranski he had found this ideal of a perfectly rational and virtuous man.†
Chpt 6
- In Prince Andrew's eyes Speranski was the man he would himself have wished to be—one who explained all the facts of life reasonably, considered important only what was rational, and was capable of applying the standard of reason to everything.†
Chpt 6
- And yet more incomprehensible is the cessation of that movement when a rational and sacred aim for the Crusade—the deliverance of Jerusalem—had been clearly defined by historic leaders.†
Chpt 15 *
Definition:
-
(rational as in: rational behavior) reasonablein various senses, including:
- "It's not rational to treat 2+2 as 5." -- logical as contrasted to illogical
- "I know you're upset, but please think about this in a rational manner." -- based on reason as contrasted to emotion
- "When I was 10-years-old, I wasn't very smart, but I was still rational." -- capable of using reason as contrasted to being insane or lacking the ability to reason
- "In matters of the heart, I trust my intuition more than my rational analysis." -- based on a logical analysis as contrasted to intuition, instinct, custom, tarot-card reading, or some other system of decision making