Core Rationality
Core Rationality is the integrity dimension: the willingness to assign credence according to perceived evidence.
The Will Axis
Core Rationality concerns whether the agent believes according to what they take the evidence to show. It is not about having perfect tools. It is about refusing to let comfort, tribe, fear, or identity dictate the final credence.
Good Faith
A core-rational agent can be mistaken. What makes them core-rational is that they are tethered to their perceived evidence. They do not knowingly inflate, deflate, or redirect belief to protect a preferred self-image.
Why Core Rationality Is Hard
Core Rationality is hard because evidence often threatens belonging, status, plans, and identity. It asks not merely "Can you see?" but "Will you follow what you see?"
The Integrity Test
Core Rationality asks whether a person can let their own perceived evidence govern their confidence. The test is not whether the person is calm, articulate, educated, or socially admired. The test is whether belief remains tethered when the evidence becomes inconvenient.
A useful self-check is: if this evidence supported the opposite conclusion, would I treat it as strongly? If the answer is no, the problem may lie not in evidence access but in the willingness to let evidence have symmetrical force.