This essay argues for the necessity for a rationality based theory of poverty. It explains how the roots of poverty are rooted in the marginalization of the rationalities of the so called poor, a marginalization that renders them disempowered from realizing their conception of the good life. It argues that the genuine liberation of the poor demands their empowerment founded in the liberation of their rationalities. This means that reformers must focus on building systems of discourse that allow the marginalized to participate in the shaping of the dominant rationalities that govern us all.