Reason and Logic

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"I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of thought."

-John Locke

John Locke was revolutionary in the way he viewed humankind. From his education to his political beliefs, it is infinitely clear that this man was wise.

The most poignant of Locke’s ideas was that humans possessed the ability to reason. Where other creatures had simple instinct, we had reason which gave us the ability to be logical. Now, we still do have basic instincts much like any other animal, but Locke truly sets us apart with this idea. 

Multiple times in class, we have drawn parallels between political unease during the Restoration period and the same unease present-day, and that makes Locke’s ideas that much more palpable. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy said this; “For the individual, Locke wants each of us to use reason to search after truth rather than simply accept the opinion of authorities or be subject to superstition” (Uzgalis). 

Seeking the truth through reason is crucial to the structure of democracy. A democratic country cannot keep its citizens in the dark. There must be honest communication between a country and its citizens, and if need be, citizens must seek out the truth for the greater good. To me, this idea of seeking the truth through reason resonates through modern-day journalism.

As an aspiring journalist, I often view journalism (when it is done correctly and ethically) as seeking the truth for the people. In fact, journalism causes people to take a step back and contemplate if they believe the content being shared with them. It forces people to utilize their ability to reason to find the truth, and sometimes, their truth can look a little different than the person next to them, but it is still their truth. Locke’s idea has truly shaped this. 

In my opinion, reason very well can be viewed as the backbone of thinking. Without reason, what are we left with? Reason gives us the ability to apply logic, and it helps us seek the truth in all aspects of life. Locke did not give people this ability; however, he did encourage people to use it. He bascially said, “Hey, humans can do this great thing. We can seek knowledge and then apply knowledge to find truth.”

Locke encouraged people to think for themselves, and that, in and of itself, was the very basis of the Enlightenment.

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Another significant idea Locke emphasizes is the notion that ideas stem from experiences. As I said above, someone’s truth can differ from another person’s truth. That happens every day, but it is because our experiences shape us. What we value, think, and believe stems from our experiences throughout life. 

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy said this about experience; “Experience is of two kinds, sensation and reflection. One of these—sensation—tells us about things and processes in the external world. The other—reflection—tells us about the operations of our own minds” (Uzgalis).

From a psychological standpoint, Locke is showcasing how our minds are shaped throughout our experiences. Our instinctual reactions are even based from previous experiences. This reminded me of how veterans sometimes react poorly to fireworks due to possible PTSD. Their experiences shaped them and their minds, and because of that, their minds operate a little differently than it once did. 

This idea of experiences = ideas can be broken down in so many different areas in life. Like the example above, this could play a role in traumatic experiences and how they shape someone. This could even be used in the context of upbringing. 

For example, if someone is brought up with a lack of monetary stability in their life, the way they view money will be different than someone who never had to worry about that.

This is revolutionary because even though it’s philosophical, it seems to be the basis behind psychological ideas as well, and that completely demonstrates the grandness of Locke’s ideas.

The Enlightenment was exactly what it sounds like. People were enlightened. It was going against the tradition that was so prevalent and thinking for yourself. It was about using reason and logic. It was about intellect and philosophy, and that is why Locke’s ideas served as a foundation for that.

Locke encourage people to become enlightened.

In some ways, he still does to this day.

Sources:

Uzgalis, William. “John Locke.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, 1 May 2018, plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/.