And so satire is inserted into the moral equation of modern day philosophy. What I find fantastic about works such as Swift's "A Modest Proposal" is that they can turn reason on itself. Just as Jefferson used reason to degrade blacks, Swifts uses reason to reach the conclusion that babies should be eaten. In doing so, he not only shows the enormous moral flaws that can create daily suffering when supported by reason, but also accentuates a very progressive idea for his time: that sometimes a problem may not require a cure explained through reason, but simply taking action based on observation of clearly immoral happenings. While Swift shows that starvation of Irish children can indeed be ended, "reasonably", by eating them, we know this to be an absurd solution. Reason has been turned on itself to prove its potential ineffectiveness.
The main argument the text presents is clearly that the eighteenth century was a time where people began to realize that "reason" was not the infallible tool one could use to reach moral/practical decisions. Do you think that reason in itself is good, but that in the wrong hands it can be abused? Or is the other way around? Should "reason" play a part at all in questions of morality? Are there any other memorable instances where immoral decisions were reached through "reasonable" means?
I think that in itself, reason is a good thing, and people should strive to use their reason to solve problems. However, the problem with reason arises when reason is what provokes you to do something. If someone sets out to solve a problem or start a movement based on cold calculated reason, then morals are usually thrown out the window. In your example of slavery, millions of people were made to live the lives of basically animals, through what was perceived as “reason.” Nowadays it’s not hard to realize that you cannot justify slavery through reason. In this way, reason can be used badly in the wrong hands. I think that if anything, “reason” is determined by the individual, but once that a conclusion is made through reason, that person will hold to that belief over anything.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bryant in that using reason is definitely a good idea but that you cannot only rely on your reason to assist you in solving a problem. Morality tempered with reason or vice versa can be a very powerful problem solving tool and it is that combination that makes humans so interesting and adaptable. I think that in order to approach a situation you cannot focus on one or the other but instead, you should attempt to have a mixed approach. Reason can certainly be abused but it is harder to abuse reason if at the same time you consider morality and what the moral thing to do is as well.
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