Title: Fallible Ideas – Reason
Headings: Why is Reason Important?
Why is Reason Important?
Content: It's about how to treat ideas, and how to treat disagreements. You aren't unreasonable or irrational if you believe something false. I'm irrational if I believe something false and justify it with "because I said so" or "look at these certifications on my wall". With an attitude like that, if I am mistaken I will never find out and never improve. What violates the requirements of reason is assuming I know the truth from the outset. Doing that cuts off the possibility of learning I am mistaken or learning a better idea. One of the core ideas of the reason tradition is that the truth is not obvious. People make mistakes. Even when we're really sure of ourselves, we still might be mistaken. And this isn't just a technicality.