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Week 9 Human Reasoning
Week 9 Human Reasoning
Human Reasoning
Reason is the capacity for consciously making sense of things,
establishing and verifying facts, applying logic, and changing or justifying
practices, institutions, and beliefs based on new or existing information. In short,
this is the ability of man to decide which is also the same way how morality is. But
let us make a discernment here, as Immanuel Kant explained, morality is the usage
of our freedom of choice but is based in what we want, this is purely based in the
necessities men needed to fulfill such as the freedom to do whatever we want.
Human reasoning is our sense of obligation to do what is right even if we do not
want to do it. For example, we have fifty pesos I our pocket and we want to a
canteen to satisfy our need for food In the counter, we see a plate of friend chicken
and a bowl of hot noodles, you want them both so morality tells us to make a
choice. But circumstance denied you these things for they cost beyond your
allowance and cannot spare additional cash from your transportation allowance so
you have to choose only one to fit within your means – that is where reason comes
in.
Reason is a feature that is characteristics of men and without it they are not
classified as such. Reason is a tool for the man to cognizance as well as out guide
to correlate to he absolute truth (God). It must be noted though that it is reason just
as long as man can act on them supernatural truth is beyond human reason. Stimuli
such as human sensation, perception, and observation that the five sense can
perceive are part of man being part of the animal kingdom but the power
transforming sensuous stimuli into experience is inherent in man’s intellect denied
to brutes. With it, he alone can arrange his experience that will later guide him in
his decisions. In any human endeavor, action is secondary to thinking. Thinking is
a deliberate act of anticipation future events that might come by reflecting past
actions or occurrences. Thinking and acting are inseparable. Every action rests
upon the foundation of an idea related to causal relations. Casual relations
developed theories that guide human action. Action without basis is absurd but
acting without thinking is ludicrous. The reason for his action may be erroneous
and his understanding of the situation is muddled; but thinking is and theorizing
are still present so his action might be “valid” or at least acceptable. Thinking is an
individual process, society does not think for man even if his customs, traditions or
laws are dictated by the society an individual belongs. There is joint action, but no
joint thinking, meaning people can be moved into a collective action but collective
thinking is impossible. People often subscribe to common sense but the trouble
with common sense is that it is not common. People can never think the same
hence, there is no common sense.
In the religious point of view, God created human beings aside from his
image and likeness as rational creations capable of reason. Divine Revelation that
may center on the salvation of the soul or foreboding natural catastrophes are in
harmony with reason. Reason is God an comes from God so human reason is the
only wat of understanding Him.
Types of Human Reasoning
1. Deductive Reasoning- - it is the form of reasoning in which a
conclusion follows logically and coherently from the factual premises and
proposition. Arguments are based upon the concept of logical reasoning. In doing
so the premises which the conclusion hinges its validity that if they are true then
the resulting a statement ae true and valid. This is plain logic.
2. Inductive Reasoning – refers to reasoning that takes specific
information and makes a broader generalization that is considered probable,
allowing for the fact that the conclusion may not be accurate. This type of logic
also uses experiences to come up with conclusion based on general observations
coming from occurrence that might give similar results. To differentiate, Deductive
reasoning began with a premise while Inductive reasoning begins with a
conclusion. Examples Deductive Reasoning – The Pope is the Representative of
God, God is never wrong therefore Th Pope is never wrong. Inductive Reasoning –
Mark shows a golden ring to his friend Paul, Mark said he will marry Martha
therefor Paul thinks Martha will receive the ring.
3. Abductive Reasoning – is a method of reasoning in which one
chooses the hypothesis that would, if true, best explain the relevant evidence. It is a
type of reasoning that gets its conclusion in an abductive argument of what
possibly true. This type of logic is also considered as inference to the best
explanation. It is choosing the most likely or best hypothesis or explanation based
upon the most relevant evidence. Example: You wake up in the morning and you
see that your roommate has left but you see a half eat food in the kitchen then you
abduce that he left early.
4. Reductive Reasoning – It is proving a statement true by reducing to
the opposite of it and showing the absurdity of the opposite result. A statement is
true based on reducing or showing the absurdity of the opposite result. It is also
called Reductio ad absurdum (Latin: “reduction to absurdity”). Example: People do
not go to college because they don’t need it.
5. Fallacious Reasoning – It is not real reasoning, it is the faulty
premises for critical thinking and logic. Example: God is love, love is blind ergo
God is blind.
The seven steps for moral ethical decisions
1. State the problem – what is the dilemma one is facing
2. Check the facts – fins out if the problem can easily be solved by mere
speculations alone or there is still a need for a deeper means of resolving it.
3. Identify the relevant and irrelevant factors – there are things that are
contributory in answering the question but we have to separate from those that
might help or not.
4. Develop the list of options – by options we mean sources beyond what we are
aware of that may be a list of sources person or books that might help in answering
the dilemma.
5. Prepare test questions – that might give us possible solutions
6. Choose the best answer
7. If need be, review steps 1 – 6.