We tend to fear flying more than driving, although statistically we are more likely to survive the flight. This ‘irrationality’ of emotions does not need to be inevitably discussed in this essay, but deserves to be kept in mind.

Since the emotions are an older response system, we could argue that rationality is another stage in the evolution of human species’ mental abilities. And furthermore, purely speculatively, emotions might be slowly vanishing on the expense of rationality (just think of all the moral rules trying to get the reason hold of control over emotions).

4 Artificial Intelligence as Rationality without Emotions?
The obvious example that comes to ones’ mind when thinking over the ‘rational thought without emotions’ is the artificial intelligence (AI). The development in this field is enormous, from chatting bots passing the Turing test through Honda’s socializing humanoid robots to the learning artificial neuronal networks. Maintaining this pace, we could have here human-like intelligent androids as soon as 2030 or 2100. Leaving the actual process of ‘gaining intelligence’ aside, let us have a look at the intelligent machines and their a-emotionalism. Will or will not robots have emotions? The definition of emotions by EB does not provide us with an opportunity of clear judgment. For an answer, we have to search in philosophical arguments.
An intuitive answer to the question of AI’s emotions would be "no, of course not – they act only according to a man-written program, they follow rules...". But on the other hand, future androids could be considered as having emotions, because they will be built with a certain (human-given) purpose (e.g. the ‘sense of life’). They will most probably have certain time-and-resource-saving procedures that would allow them quickly evaluate a situation. They will have ‘gut feelings’. They will have to be programmed to ‘love’ all humans. These two philosophical approaches, the so-called weak and strong AI, will most probably quarrel for another few tens of years before the debate will be really relevant. In my opinion, till then, human emotions will not be considered as something ‘out of this world’ (as they are already starting to be), but will be understood scientifically and ascribed to beings more generously.

5 Conclusion or the ‘Emotional Rationality’

“Rationality is an important force in decision making, but its potency is severely diminished if emotion is absent or ignored.”

Humans cannot think solely rationally.