What is Reason?

[Sparhafoc]

With such an eponym, I imagine you've had this discussion before.

However, I was wondering how people would define reason; how we can know whether we possess reason; how can we know whether our reason works.

 

[Sparhafoc]

Perplexing.

Are there only 2 other humans here?

 

[Dragan Glas]

Greetings,

Sometimes people get so caught up in active topics that they miss new ones. That's my excuse anyway.

Julian Baggini's latest book - The Edge Of Reason - addresses what he perceives as flaws in the classic idea of reason, and argues for reason in an irrational world.

Not sure if you've come across it!?

Similarly Michael Lynch also argues for reason in his In Praise Of Reason.

Kindest regards,

James

 

[MarsCydonia]

With such an eponym, I imagine you've had this discussion before.

However, I was wondering how people would define reason; how we can know whether we possess reason; how can we know whether our reason works.

Well, whether or not we possess reason and how we can know it works would first depend on how reason is defined.

Reason seems to be often described as the ability to draw conclusions (if not always valid, at least useful conclusions in dealing with reality) from observations, premises, etc.

Since this topic has been discussed for centuries, the definition of reason was changed and adapted through the years such as there is no a solid, all-encompassing definition.

Perplexing.

Are there only 2 other humans here?

There are more than 2 and despite the fact they often pass for humans, there is also a couple of trolls.

 

[Sparhafoc]

Julian Baggini's latest book - The Edge Of Reason - addresses what he perceives as flaws in the classic idea of reason, and argues for reason in an irrational world.

Not sure if you've come across it!?

Ooh nice. Sadly, not likely to be in any shops round here!

I'll have a look for it next time I'm back in the UK.

 

[Dragan Glas]

Greetings,

No need - you can order it online, which is why I provided the link.

They deliver world-wide free of charge, unlike Amazon.

Kindest regards,

James

 

[Sparhafoc]

Greetings,

No need - you can order it online, which is why I provided the link.

They deliver world-wide free of charge, unlike Amazon.

Sadly, this is the kind of story I often have to tell about how I live in some antiquated past where there are no such thing as credit cards and the like. If you imagine you're talking to the 1940's, it will probably help! :lol:

 

[Dragan Glas]

Greetings,

O-kay...

At least you've got a computer to Windows-shop. :lol:

Kindest regards,

James

 

[Sparhafoc]

Greetings,

O-kay...

Yep, that's the traditional response too!

At least you've got a computer to Windows-shop. :lol:

On that, at least, I was an early adopter. My dad used to play the Catalogue Shuffle game where he'd order a console, then when it arrived call and cancel it, which would then result in at least 6 weeks until they came to pick it up. Aside from an early lesson in crime and the fragility of human morality compared to its greed, it also meant I had a computer pretty much from the first year of computers being publicly affordable.

Sadly, this hasn't extended to anything else. Until last year, I had a 17 inch CRT monitor which caused outrage among my colleagues (I was working in an animation studio), and until moving out to the jungle here a few months back, have never owned a mobile phone. No car, no watch, no TV.... just a fridge, computer, and air con unit - that's all the tech I need!