LOGICAL REASONING AND EMPIRICISM

Logical reasoning means drawing specific conclusions based on premises. In almost all human communication we fail to have a consistent dialogue following the rules of logic. Most people struggle when an argument is logical but goes against their beliefs. Emotions like fear and anger take over and conflicts arise. Socrates who developed his 'Socratic Method': two persons have a cooperative dialogue in which they ask each other questions and answer them, with the aim to peacefully examine arguments and come to mutually agreed definitions in order to solve problems and come to a deeper understanding of reality. This method helps me to identify logical fallacies in my own reasoning and improve my communication.

 

Next to this I prefer to solve problems based on empiricism. That means that I use my senses to observe reality and to collect data, then categorise and classify what I have seen into concepts and abstractions. In contemporary society the opposite is happening: concepts like ‘public health’, ‘the common good’ are unquestioned, undefined and therefore unchallenged. I think it is important to question the status quo with the aim to create clarity and harmony.