Reasoning, if you think about it, is the process of providing reasons for what you think and do.
The opposite of reasoning is saying “JUST BECAUSE”. Since this is not a good reason–we all want a REAL reason–it is nearly invariably attached to personal attack and an effort to change the subject.
Why do we wear masks? We are told “to slow the virus”.
This begets two questions:
- why do we want to slow the virus? Our hospitals are half empty, and this disease is not dangerous for most people anyway.
- How do we even know the masks “slow the virus”? How much, if they do?
Obviously, this is the essence of the Socratic method.
Here is what I would suggest: people who do not REALLY have good reasons for things MUST keep the focus on anything and anyone other than themselves.
What I believe happens is that people who lack reasons they can articulate–or which would actually be accepted by people, the wills to power and privilege not being something we support others in winning at our expense–focus on doing things TO people.
If you look at Orwell’s 1984, a perennial war was needed. Enemies. O’Brian could easily have just said to Winston Smith that they were watching him and to behave himself. That likely would have been enough.
But he trapped him, because they needed a steady supply of enemies to do TO.
The opposite of this, obviously, is doing FOR. BLM in theory exists to do things FOR black folks, to win them rights, to protect them, to advance them.
But in reality, it is a con focused on doing TO white people and all persons, black and white, who oppose them in any way. They keep all eyes on the alleged villains, while they are cashing million dollar checks and buying limos and mansions for all their friends and family.
Reason is the tool of the good person. It is the method of making sure your motives are pure, and that your actions are effective.
Anyone who rejects the use of reason–who feels no need to reconcile their thoughts and behaviors to their claimed ends–must be assumed to be working in the realms of greed, attention and power nearly exclusively.