Example Of Weak Analysis

In the discussion of weak evaluation and instrumental reason, one controversial issue has been whether instrumental reason is an instance of weak evaluation. On the one hand, Taylor is concerned both with weak evaluation and instrumental reasoning. My own view is that I am also concerned with them and believe that instrumental reason is an instance of weak evaluation; but, only to some extent. In this paper, I will explain weak evaluation and instrumental reason as well as why they are of concern for Taylor: I will also give my view in regards to if instrumental reason is an instance of weak evaluation. To begin, one must first understand what exactly a weak evaluation is. A weak evaluation is a decision that has no depth; it can be a meek …show more content…
Maximum efficiency, the best cost –output ratio, is its measure of success” (Taylor, 5). It is simply decision making based on cost-benefit analysis; maximizing output. People want to maximize their benefit while limiting their cost. It is seeing all thing and people as a means to an end. However, instrumental reasoning raises concerns for …show more content…
It rids people and the world of their intrinsic meanings and makes it so they are only seen as a raw material and nothing more. This idea for Taylor strips many decisions of their moral dimensions. This is also called the device paradigm by Albert Borgman. This is a view in which people withdraw from existing as part of the environment and see items in that environment as a means to an end. I agree with Taylor on this point. If we are all solely functioning to maximize our output or benefit then we are stripped of what makes up our self and our morals. We lose our moral decisions and solely function to gain; in which we would lose meaningful experiences that we could have otherwise attained. This becomes a problem socially because if we all maximize our efficiency we would all be acting out of self-interest and social affairs would collapse. Instrumental reasoning can also be connected to weak evaluations. Instrumental reason could be an instance of weak evaluations: A cost-benefits analysis of a decision could be considered a weak evaluation. It could lack depth and simply be a decision made on what is better; how to get the most out of the decision. How would this be any different than a decision on right or wrong like the movie stealing example provided earlier? Both demonstrate a weak evaluation. There is not much of a difference between making a decision on right or wrong and making a decision on worse