6: Conclusion
- Page ID
- 306948
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)We face multiple and overlapping crises in our world today including climate change, racism, and social division more generally. Fear and anxiety are natural human responses, I suppose. But they aren’t very helpful. It would, however, be enormously helpful if more of us were more reasonable. After our brief survey of what it means to be reasonable, perhaps this thesis doesn’t require further elaboration. We face assorted obstacles to becoming more reasonable, the fear and anxiety inspired by our assorted crises being prominent among them. Everyday human pride also gets in the way. Most people like to think they are perfectly reasonable, even when they’ve put little effort into figuring out just what that means. But a further obstacle faced even by the brave and the willing is the lack of reasoning skills. Cultivating these takes practice and guidance. No one would expect to become great at basketball, chess, or dance without lots of practice and feedback from coaches, teachers or peers that have good skills in these areas. People who think they are perfectly reasonable in the absence of the learning and training that hones our reasoning skills display a certain kind arrogance that will entrench biases, blind spots, and error. I urge diligence against the prideful temptation.
Seek the training instead and you’ll find you have little use for arrogant pride. It serves no good purpose in any case. You’ll also find a path to taming the fears and anxieties our assorted crises instill. Fears and anxieties are easily inflated among the unreasonable. Capitalizing on this is an age-tool of demagogues and manipulators. Becoming more reasonable helps to reduce the threats to actual size as it inoculates you against those who would prey on our fears and anxieties. And, of course, good critical thinking helps to identify promising solutions and paths forward.
My goal in this short volume has been quite modest. I’ve only set out to explore what it means to be reasonable and introduce readers to some of the time-tested reasoning skills that can help you take better aim at understanding and knowledge. Next, becoming a more reasonable person would involve finding opportunities to cultivate reasoning skills through structured practice. A good step would be to sign up for a critical thinking class at your local college. And then perhaps a logic class. Philosophy more generally is just critical thinking about a broad range of issues. Or, you might just work through that old critical thinking text you find at the used bookstore. Whatever you do to become a more reasonable person, the world will be a better place for it and you’ll get to flourish in healthier, friendlier communities to as well.