Definitions

Reason and Reasoning

We talk about rationalty and reasoning

- Reason is what separeates us from animals

- Do not let emotions triumph over reason

What is reason?

Reason - capacity or ability to reason.

Reasoning - is a mental process in which the mind moves from one thought(s) to another thought

Inference - to make an inference to judge that some proposition (the conclusion) is rationally supported by some other proposition(s) (the premise(s)).

Reason - the ability or capacity to make inferences.

Reasoning - process of making inferences.

Example 1.

It’s Friday at 4.30pm.

I know that Luca usually goes to Neary’s at 4pm on a Friday.

I form the belief that Luca is in Neary’s now

In the example, the subjetc makes an inference from some beliefs they have to some new beliefs.

- Beliefs can be false or true

- belief as a thought that a subject takes to be true,or is convinced is true.

- Reasoning is an attempt to expand your knowledge. To gain a complete picture of the world.

- You can make an inference without involving your beliefs.

- We can infer things from thoughts that we are unsure about, or even that we think are false.

- We judge the quality of other people's inference

- We assess wheather inference are good or bad. Do reason really support the conclusions?

We think that reasoning has rules.