GLS 801 Journal “The Capacity and Limits of Reason”: Introduction

In this GLS 801 journal/blog I hope to begin a process of synthesising and clarifying the ideas and concepts found the class texts and external materials which seem relevant with regards to the concepts we are exploring in our seminars. Although the texts offer many divergent themes to explore, I hope to keep my eye on the nature of reason in it’s different incarnations and interpretations in the realms of science, nature, religion, morality/ethics, emotion and freewill. I am also interested in exploring the relative epistemic values of language, mathematics, science and art (as it extends to poetry, myth, literature, painting music etc.) as they relate to, and are nesessary for our ideas and conceptions of truth and understanding: does science need poetry? does all useful knowledge, every great idea require a ‘leap of faith’? Which is fundamental, knowledge or belief? Is there a cultural/historic “arrow” or determiner which directs the kind reasoning we engage in and therefore the kinds of understanding we come to? And what about emotion, belief and insight?

Some of these entries will be posted as works in progress and will, with any luck, complete themselves as the term progresses. I’m viewing each piece like a short essay which evolves over the course of the semester; each entry is like a vessel which will be filled and refined as the weeks go by. Once I feel as though I’m starting to get somewhere with a given piece I’ll post it, but it should grow and hopefully improve. When you see <<>> you’ll know I’m planning to fix, extend or complete. Also, I’ll give a little introduction to each entry just to let you know where I’m headed or at least where I think I’m headed with each piece. Links are in blue.