Why Does Anything Makes Sense?
“Come now, let us reason together…”
Isaiah, in his book named after him, chapter 1:18
Do you know who said this in the quote above? Hint: It wasn’t Isaiah. Although he wrote it, he was quoting somebody else (at least he seems to have believed he was). If you’re still unsure it will become clear to you as our discussion develops. For now just consider and ponder it with me (i.e. use reason to reflect on it).
First, at face value, whoever said it was making an appeal—or perhaps a challenge—to reason with him (or her), that is to use the faculty of reason to consider something. That much is plain. But what does that tell us? It would seem that the appealer had some regard for the benefits of reason, and that he himself had the ability to exercise it. Entities without this ability do not make such appeals. As to the recipient of the appeal we can make some reasonable assumptions. 1) It was probably a living thing, because nobody in their right mind makes such an appeal to a rock or a puddle, for obvious reasons. 2) It was probably not a plant either, for quite the same reason. 3) Perhaps it was an animal. After all, some people believe that animals can reason. But hmm, something does not sit right about that option. Animals are not invited to reason.
Let’s be reasonable, shall we? As far as we can tell (by reason) only rationally intelligent beings are invited to use reason, by other intelligent beings that use reason. Usually this means that only humans invite other humans to reason with them, never animals or plants, rocks or puddles. Now, many people believe there are other rational beings besides human, as I do, but if there are they cannot be lower ones, they have to be higher beings. And, of course, by “higher” I am necessarily referring to rational intelligence. Position on the “higher-lower” scale is measure on rational intelligence.
Reason exists, and reason is self-evident. Here is my reasoning: First, all humans use reason. It is part of what it means to be human. Indeed, we must use reason, for it is a necessary attribute of the human mind and it is largely by reason that we function in a complex world. It is also how we self-identify. You probably have heard the well-known statement by Rene’ Descartes, “Cogito ergo sum”, if not in Latin then in English—“I think, therefore I am”. A good paraphrase would be, “I reason, therefore I am.”
Second, according to Aristotle, all humans desire to know. What I said about reason is also true of knowing, and much of reasoning is dependent on knowing, or at least the belief of known things. Thus, knowledge and reason work together. Reason is needed to make use of already-possessed knowledge (i.e. to process and apply it). Reason is also needed to obtain more knowledge (e.g. data, information, comprehension and understanding) from the basis of existing knowledge through the use of rational skills such as sensory perception, observation, recognition, differentiation, classification, inference, implication, induction, deduction, abduction, synthesis, extrapolation, interpretation, qualification, prediction, projection, etc.). Knowledge through reason is necessary to satisfy the uniquely human desire for a sense of well-being. Without them we have trouble achieving happiness.
But just as humans desire to know, we also desire to reason and to be reasonable. All of us desire at least these two things with respect to reason: 1) to believe that life, society and the world around us should be rational, and 2) that they should be rationally comprehensible.
Most people I know, including me, are prone to excuse ourselves for our own faulty reasoning or poor judgment, but we are generally less willing to excuse others for theirs. Why is that? Again, it’s because of points one and two; we strongly want to believe that the world around us should make sense and be reasonable, including other people. Actually, it is an expectation! So when something or someone else behaves in a way that doesn’t make sense to us (whether for sound or unsound reasons), it makes our knowing and understanding of things more difficult, or impossible. And that is so frustrating! It makes us feel downright violated because it infringes not only upon our desire for things to be reasonable, but also upon our expectation that things should be reasonable, which is “only fair”.
Have you ever heard someone exclaim in frustration, “That just doesn’t make sense!” I have, and I’m certain that you have too. If you’re like me, you have been known to exclaim it. Why is that? Why should anything make sense at all?