The study of rationality and practical reason, or rationality in action,                  has been central to Western intellectual culture. In this invigorating book, John                  Searle lays out six claims of what he calls the Classical Model of rationality and                  shows why they are false. He then presents an alternative theory of the role of                  rationality in thought and action.A central point of Searle's theory is that only                  irrational actions are directly caused by beliefs and desires--for example, the                  actions of a person in the grip of an obsession or addiction. In most cases of                  rational action, there is a gap between the motivating desire and the actual                  decision making. The traditional name for this gap is "freedom of the will."                  According to Searle, all rational activity presupposes free will. For rationality is                  possible only where one has a choice among various rational as well as irrational                  options.Unlike many philosophical tracts, Rationality in Action invites the reader                  to apply the author's ideas to everyday life. Searle shows, for example, that                  contrary to the traditional philosophical view, weakness of will is very common. He                  also points out the absurdity of the claim that rational decision making always                  starts from a consistent set of desires. Rational decision making, he argues, is                  often about choosing between conflicting reasons for action. In fact, humans are                  distinguished by their ability to be rationally motivated by desire-independent                  reasons for action. Extending his theory of rationality to the self, Searle shows                  how rational deliberation presupposes an irreducible notion of the self. He also                  reveals the idea of free will to be essentially a thesis of how the brain                  works.

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