I’ve been increasingly confused by what people mean by the word ‘reason’.
The word, in a sentence.
“My argument is based on reason”
“Reality can be deduced from reason”
etc
I’m looking for people to explain what they mean by ‘reason’, as commonly used in the above sentences. Please, no references to other works which answer my question; just quote if you have to.
Thanks
P.S. I’m assuming that by rational you mean ‘based on reason’, so any explanation with the word rational (or irrational) is going to be redundant.
Reason, as follows, can mean one of several things. It could mean that by reason, we mean that there is aim implied or as justification. When considering Logic and Philosophy, we can assume that reason means that whatever claim is being made has some form of intelligent thought or methodology behind it. Reason can insinuate that intellect can be a basis for knowledge, through which, any claim can be valid without emotion, experience or sense as long as it makes fundamental sense.
Rationality and Irrationality are not redundant. Saying “not†irrational would be redundant in any sentence, though. The prefix of “ir†indicates that the word irrational means: lacking rationality. Therefore, irrationality means not having reason, or making no sense. That is why bombing your next door neighbor because his friend’s father’s mother’s brother-in-law said screw you is irrational. Malicious and calculated as the end may be, the act is irrational because there is no reasoning behind it. Conversely, the reasoning behind the act can be the irrationality in the circumstance.
I’m confused by what you mean by ‘aim implied or as justification’.
Let me suggest an example sentence: “Argument X is based on reason”.
Where is the claim in this sentence? Is the entire sentence a claim? If so, then is the ‘reason’ at the end meaning that ‘Arguement X is based on reason has some form of intelligent thought or methodology behind it’ (format is ‘Claim – has some form of…’ where claim is the original sentence).
Also, what do you mean by ‘intelligent thought’? What is the difference between non-intelligent thought and intelligent thought?
Again, in the sentence ‘Argument X is based on reason’, can be substitute the word reason for it’s definition?
‘Argument X is based on a possible insinuation that intellect can be a basis for knowledge…’
Or does this not apply here?
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As for the rational/irrational bit, I was trying to dissuade the ‘Reason is being rational’ response, which would be redudant, as rational means ‘based on reason’, giving ‘Reason is being rational’ = ‘Reason is being based on reason’. I considered that redudant.
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Thanks for your response
P.S. Sorry If I misunderstood what you were trying to say, and that I didn’t add the example sentence until this post. Perhaps I should restate my question: In the sentence ‘Argument X is based on reason’ (or ‘Argument X is rational’), what do you think the word ‘reason’ means? Perhaps it would be help if you just substituted your meaning/definition for the term ‘reason’ in the definition.
P.P.S. Apologies If I appear dull or nit-picky: I’m just confused and am having a hard time expressing my question.
When I say reason I mean you show, make explicit the ‘logical connections’ from established facts to the conclusions or assertions you are making, ie how the thing said ‘follows’ from the things known.
And bad reasoning means either the founding facts are in error or false, or the ‘logical connections’ were made wrongly or not at all.
And ‘logical connections’ are the basic, intuitive, common sensical, human ability that we have and used to make sense of the world. Examples would be like contradiction, namely A cannot be ~A (not A) at the same time, or If ALL As are Bs and c is an A, then c is a B too.
Another way to think of reason is the process we undertake to answer the question why.
So if I say the sun will not rise tomorrow, and you asked why, the process I used to answer that why until it leads satisfactorily to what we both accepted as known and true is what reasoning is about.
“Reason” could be considered as the cause and effect paradigm that allows deffinition to the product of a mental inquiry. The terms good or bad, right or wrong, moral or immoral, etc. should not be applied to “reason” as they represent “judgement”, usually after “reasoning” has completed.
Nelson
p.s. first timer - new to this forum. Hope this gives some food for thought. After all, that is why we are all here, right?
