In this paper, I examine whether and if so, how, rationality can be said to be universal in light of the most recent developments in the studies on human reasoning. I propose an argumentation-based picture of rationality which, by focusing on the reason-giving function of reasoning, is able to account for its universal character without reducing it merely to adaptiveness or effectiveness in achieving one’s personal goals, which is what (as I will argue) the leading theories in contemporary psychological studies on reasoning seem to do.
