Logic vs reason

RAYMUND FERNANDEZ

Logic is defined by my computer’s dictionary as: “reasoning conducted or assessed according to strict principles of validity…” Reason is defined as: “a cause, explanation, or justification for an action or event…”

Once upon a time, you could use those words interchangeably as if they were synonyms.

But a quick research on the internet reveals that there is a subtle difference between the two. This difference is elemental and important to how we perceive the world and those occurrences that define it for us.

There have been philosophical discussions of it, to be sure. But perhaps a Pop-culture reference is much more interesting.

I speak of course of Mr. Spock. Who, if you have been following the famous and longest running serial narrative, Star Trek, was characterized as a strictly unemotional and logical person.

He is all that to a fault.

He is Vulcan, not human. Unlike Captain Kirk who is human and therefore understandably more rational or reasonable; And this, sometimes to a fault.

There had been sequences in the serial drama to show how their character differences set them apart in the way they perceived the world and solved problems.

And it was fun to watch because, sometimes it was the logical Mr. Spock who saved the day, so to speak. As there were other times when the rational Captain Kirk comes out the main hero.

Long did it take Spock to become more capable of human reasoning. But over time, we see him begin to transform and experience the consequences of reason.

Such as emotion, and especially the emotions of love and hate.

It took the destruction of his entire planet and civilization for him to get there. But happen it did, if my memory serves me well.

And surely, in this age of the computer, the possibilities of artificial intelligence, and troll farms, the difference between logic and reason or rationality become even more clear.

Logic has to do with mechanistic thinking without consideration of consequence over time and human emotions, values like love, fairness, justice, etc.

Those things that require reasoning or rationality to appreciate.
And then: There is troll farm logic.

Which, it may be argued, is not strictly logic, but merely appears to be so. As for instance: Drugs are a great menace and danger to society.

Drugs kill. Therefore it is justifiable to kill people involved in drugs.

Even if killing people is against the law we have to do it or accept it since there is no other way.

That seems logical. It takes a bit of reasoning to understand that if we do away with the rule of law, we will inevitably face dire apocalyptic consequences.

It takes a bit of reasoning to ask: What if people involved in drugs were to take control of government?

It would make their hold over society terminal and complete, would it not? Only a bit of contemplation is required to see how common this sort of simplistic troll-farm logic applies as well to other issues like racism, immigrants, and LGBT.

One sees how easily they can be used to spread bigotry.

The problem with logic is that it works as an interlinked chain, of steps of premise and conclusion.

Not everyone realize that if any of those steps of premise and conclusion are false then the ultimate conclusion is rendered false as well. And in our day and age, the falsity of premise and conclusion are easily negated through repetition and the spread of “fake news.” We have seen this happen. And it will keep happening still.

Troll farm logic has been shown to be so powerful it can be used in a concerted effort to win elections.

Consequently, democracy now seems helpless, inutile, and impossible; now as never before in human history.

And this can only fill us with much fear and foreboding.

For we can see immediately that not everyone sees or can see the difference between logic and reason.

The subtle differences between them may seem just simply too complicated for Mr. and Mrs, or Ms. Ordinary Contemporary Human.

I suggest to google 2 paintings by Francisco Goya. The first is, “Cronus (Saturn) devouring his children.” The second is: “The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters.”