Does Reason Lead to Truth: Philosophy Forums

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Does Reason Lead to Truth

brianthephilosopher
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Posted 06/10/08 - 05:04 PM: Subject: Does Reason Lead to Truth	#1
Why do we assume that reason leads to correct understanding? Why is confidence placed in reason? It's a very simple question. What is the epistemogical basis for assuming that logic dicloses truth.

Avedomni
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Posted 06/10/08 - 05:30 PM:	#2
It seems to me that if reason does not lead to truth, we are left without recourse to discovering truth, and all discussion on the matter is moot. So while it may be the case that reason does not lead to actual truth, the supposition that it does so is a necessity of discussion (or, so far as I can tell, thought) on the matter. That is, the only path by which one might arrive at the conclusion that reason does not reveal truth is through reason—and arriving at such a conclusion would necessarily undermine the path taken. Alternatively one might receive a divine revelation that reason is not the path to truth, but then any truth must also come via divine revelation. There would then be no way to convey truth, so no manner of cogent discussion on the topic.

yiming
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Posted 06/10/08 - 09:56 PM:	#3
brianthephilosopher wrote: Why do we assume that reason leads to correct understanding? Why is confidence placed in reason? It's a very simple question. What is the epistemogical basis for assuming that logic dicloses truth. You are not being clear about what you are trying to say. But I can see what you are getting at.

reincarnated
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Posted 06/10/08 - 10:02 PM:	#4
brianthephilosopher wrote: Why do we assume that reason leads to correct understanding? Why is confidence placed in reason? It's a very simple question. What is the epistemogical basis for assuming that logic dicloses truth. I believe its not so much that "reason leads to truth", but that "lack of reason, incoherence or inconsistency, cannot lead to truth".
�If one pays attention to the concepts being employed, rather than the words being used, the resolution of this problem is simple.� (Stuart Burns)

brianthephilosopher
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Posted 06/11/08 - 04:59 AM:	#5
The notion that reason leads to truth is the basis of all rational discussion. If reason does not lead to truth then what is the point of reasoning. And what is the alternative... irrational discourse. I venture to say that the conviction that reason leads to truth comes from both the experience of successfully applying reason to practical problems such as solving crimes as well as applying the scientific method to understanding nature. So it seems that reason is the most fruitful way of solving practical problems and understanding nature. Thus the universe is rational in so far as reason 'works'. Am I making sense? Edited by hyena in petticoat on 07/14/08 - 06:45 PM. Reason: Illiteracy.

Ron C. de Weijze
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Posted 06/11/08 - 06:59 AM: Subject: TRUE reason?	#6
Reason or intellect leads to an 'understanding' of instinctive sensing. Reasoning (or knowing) can project a known environment that can usually be matched with the sensed environment. And apart from just having the images, reason can provide the trust, expectation, suspicion, prediction, belief and intention, as long as it corresponds to sensing. So reasoning in a way approaches material reality (or truth) when intellect and instinct are held in place by intuition. However we all have such intuitive mechanisms trying to make sense of our sensibilities. And the environment that each of us knows or pretends to know, includes us, you and me. Therefore your intuition is part of, or should be part of, my known environment. If you want to share it. Our social reality (or truth) is then the calculus of all of us, being accountable to each other. Then there is cultural reality (or truth), which we implement and have ourselves ruled by, decisions made one way or the other (which is another story) having real, TRUE, impact on our lives.
Researching and developing a practical philosophy of 'Constructive Recollection'.

Berkeley's Ghost
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Posted 06/11/08 - 10:17 AM:	#7
Reason does not always lead to truth but it may lead to truth and it provides an objective system by which we may attempt to consciously search for truth. It is essentially accepted pragmatically, we see it has provided us with ideas that appear to "work" so we trust that it will continue to do so.
Faith which does not doubt is dead faith.-Miguel de Unamuno Ceiling Cat is watching you post.

brianthephilosopher
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Posted 06/11/08 - 12:09 PM:	#8
Berkeley's Ghost wrote: Reason does not always lead to truth but it may lead to truth and it provides an objective system by which we may attempt to consciously search for truth. It is essentially accepted pragmatically, we see it has provided us with ideas that appear to "work" so we trust that it will continue to do so. That's a good point. But reason is the basis of science and philosophy too. I wonder if there has been any defense of it. It seems to me that reason has a very intimate relationship to reality. I wonder what that relationship might be.

SIR2U
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Posted 06/11/08 - 06:49 PM:	#9
But reason is the basis of science and philosophy too. Reasoning is used to prove things are true, or to find ways of proving them.
Unknown Alanic wiseman. "Ignorance and bad teeth have at least one thing in common. Keeping your mouth closed makes them both less obvious"

Berkeley's Ghost
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Posted 06/12/08 - 08:31 AM:	#10
brianthephilosopher wrote: I wonder if there has been any defense of it. It seems to me that reason has a very intimate relationship to reality. I wonder what that relationship might be. Well, a fundamental proof of rationalities ability to find truth is, by rationalities nature, very difficult to produce. All our knowledge does not come from our rationality, but all our objective knowledge does seem to come primarily from rationality (though I could be proven wrong here). Because of this, one would have to prove rationality by way of rationality, which is absurd, it is like saying "I know you exist because you told me so." The relationship to reality which we assert rationality has is based on the assumption that reality itself is rational. Thus we can have knowledge of reality by harmonizing our rationality with the rationality of reality (pardon my idealist speak). Whether or not this assertion is true or defendable is another matter which I am not confident to make a judgment on.
Faith which does not doubt is dead faith.-Miguel de Unamuno Ceiling Cat is watching you post.

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