Ecological Rationality Without Externalism
Abstract
Abstract Theories of bounded rationality join process reliabilists in holding that rationality is ecological, or environment-relative. Most theories of ecological rationality, like most versions of reliabilism, have been externalist. In this paper, I develop a de-externalized account of ecological rationality. I show how the account retains many advantages of externalist accounts while avoiding key challenges. I conclude with an application to the psychology of poverty, focusing on the rationality of agents caught in poverty traps.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Income
Poverty
and Inequality
Philosophical Ethics and Theory
Political Philosophy and Ethics
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Philosophy of Science
- Volume
- 93
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 561–585
- Publication date
- 8 January 2026
- Language
- EN