Photo source: Wikimedia Commons, Gustav-Adolf Schultze
What is reason? I have three definitions:
1. Reason is the process of forming conclusions using explicit justifications or premises
2. A reason is something intended to support the accuracy of a proposition
3. A reason is something that explains something elseThe rest of this post is an explanation of each definition.
1. Reason is the process of forming conclusions using explicit justifications or premises
I believe that whenever we use explicit reasons to form a belief, we are performing reason. Reason is the evaluation of reasons to make a conclusion. Reason can be contrasted with intuition which relies on unclear reasons rather than explicit reasons.
I also believe that science relies on reason. Science a method of establishing knowledge through controlled experiments. When we construct a controlled experiment, we need to consider all the potential confounding variables. Therefore, we need to form reasons why we think the experiment is controlled and adequate for testing a theory.
2. A reason is something intended to support the accuracy of a proposition
I believe that reasons play a central role in epistemology. Whenever we form a belief, its usually going to be based on reasons, conscious or unconscious. I also believe that the core essence of a reason is support. The purpose of a reason is to reinforce or strengthen a proposition.
3. A reason is something that explains something else
A reason can also be used to explain something. Whenever somebody asks why something is a certain way, the answer will always be a reason (or reasons). For example, imagine that you go on a bike ride for exercise. If somebody asks you why you went on the bike ride, you would tell them the reason: for exercise. Another example, if somebody asks you why the moon orbits around the Earth, you would tell them the reason: Earth's mass has a gravitational pull on the moon.
What's the difference between an explanation and a reason? An explanation is based on language, while a reason doesn't have to be stated in language. A reason always exists before it is put into words.
License: CC BY-SA 4.0
