Karolna Holubov

Y5

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of reason as a way of knowing

To say that we know something, our knowing or knowledge has to be based on some information. Whether these information are true or false shape whether we know something or do not know something. The truth is one of most subjective topics as there are many explanations and variations of truth. Also there are many ways of how to perceive the truth. But our knowing does not have to be necessarily based on the truth. Knowing might also be our believing in something and conversely. As everything else, knowing also relies on many factors. Knowing through the reason is one of them. And as everything else reason as a way of knowing has its strengths and limitations. Firstly I would like the reason to be explained. The reason is the ability of the human mind to generalize individual experience, work with abstract concepts and draw conclusions from assumptions. Reason is very important way of knowing and of creating an opinion on something. Our reasoning mostly starts with perceiving data, information. Our brain than perceived analyzed data. The main weaknesses of the reason as the way of knowing may be reasons being based and dependent on language, and as we may know the language itself is not one hundred percent reliable and accurate. For example many words has multiple meanings therefore it can sometimes lead to misunderstandings. But this also could be perceived as the strength of the reason. Since the ability to express oneself is very important and significant characterization of our personality. The better our expression is, better we can use it precisely, better our reasoning would be. Another limitation would be that reason is divorced from the emotions. This disconnection may sometimes lead to ill judgment or to wrong conclusion. As our emotions are very important part of our personalities and as we know that they sometimes help us in our decisions. But from the other hand it can be also taken as the strength of the reason. Our emotions can surely helps us in our decision-making but they can also harm our decision-making. As they influence our behaviors and our thinking. It is tend to be said that people are making decision according either to their mind or to their heart. Contrariwise also some strengths are attributed to reason. First strength is that reason is mostly made and characterized by logic, which can itself lead to some promising results. The limitation of the logic could be the fact that it is mostly based on the language and the language is composed by words. Another strength is that reasons aim is to discover what the truth is. Which can be thought as the meaning of knowing. Because for what would our knowing be, without knowing whether our knowledge is truth or false based. The limitation of this would be that truth is not always easy to define, and that many theory of truth had been thought. I know at least 4 of them And the last positivity about reason about which I am going to write is that reason is also the way, which helps in our decision making, or under that are our decisions

Karolna Holubov

Y5

affected. The problem is that Sometimes Even reason can lead us to wrong way. Even decision-making trough the reason is not 100% reliable and trustable. As everything else in philosophy even reason is controversial thing and there are several opinions on it. My personal opinion is that reason would be very useful and helpful factor when having been used in the proper way. Of course that for me it is very connected to the language therefore I think better speaker you are equals more reasonable you are.