This article analyzes the features of human behavior through the prism of antonymous concepts of "rational" and "irrational". There's discussed the traditional and is proposed a new conceptual interpretation of the concepts of "rational" and "irrational". In the light of this interpretation and taking into account the data obtained in such recent areas of social and humanitarian science as cognitive science, neurobiology, evolutionary psychology, the general theory of human interactions, an analysis of the work of human thinking is carried out both in general and from the point of view of cognitive maintenance of such (allocated by M . Weber) types of action as traditional, affective, value-rational and purpose-rational. There’s discussed the work of two systems of thinking (the so-called System 1 and System 2) which provide cognitive services to human activity. Their strengths and weaknesses are highlighted. Based on such a new area of praxeology as the general theory of human interactions, the fundamental motivational determinant of human activity is analyzed. There are two model types of description of such a determinant: based on the so-called integral function of well-being and on the basis of basic models of human thinking, which include: a model of the present, a model of a required future, a model of a probable future. To reinforce and illustrate the conceptual constructions carried out in the article, there’re considered corresponding cases of experimentally obtained data.

This article analyzes the features of human behavior through the prism of antonymous concepts of "rational" and "irrational". There's discussed the traditional and is proposed a new conceptual interpretation of the concepts of "rational" and "irrational". In the light of this interpretation and taking into account the data obtained in such recent areas of social and humanitarian science as cognitive science, neurobiology, evolutionary psychology, the general theory of human interactions, an analysis of the work of human thinking is carried out both in general and from the point of view of cognitive maintenance of such (allocated by M . Weber) types of action as traditional, affective, value-rational and purpose-rational. There’s discussed the work of two systems of thinking (the so-called System 1 and System 2) which provide cognitive services to human activity. Their strengths and weaknesses are highlighted. Based on such a new area of praxeology as the general theory of human interactions, the fundamental motivational determinant of human activity is analyzed. There are two model types of description of such a determinant: based on the so-called integral function of well-being and on the basis of basic models of human thinking, which include: a model of the present, a model of a required future, a model of a probable future. To reinforce and illustrate the conceptual constructions carried out in the article, there’re considered corresponding cases of experimentally obtained data.