¶ … Rene Descartes wrote "I think therefore I am," philosophers have considered the meaning, origin, and function of cognitive thought (Newman, 2014). Thinking in itself appears to be proof of one's own existence. Self-consciousness -- the awareness that one is thinking -- offers indelible proof of a higher order of thought. Yet paradoxically, thoughts also seem to arise seemingly unbidden from the recesses of the mind. The sources of thought have been attributed to everything from God to nothingness (Hauser, 2009). Moreover, the sources of individualized thought processes are related to socialization and acculturation as well as to innate sensations and belief systems. There are some trends of human cognition that may be universal, and others that are instilled through social norms.
Understanding the ways thought processes work is one of the most important aspects of being human. "Thinking is the extraordinary process we use every waking moment to make sense of our world and lives," (Chaffee, 2004, p. 2). Faulty thinking can lead to problems ranging from mental illness and miscommunications to superstition and logical fallacy. Clarifying one's thought processes can eliminate or minimize problems. Furthermore, understanding more about the origin of thought processes can help to reduce interpersonal friction because the more we recognize the origin of our own beliefs, the more we can see that others likewise developed their beliefs from their families or cultures.
As Engel (2000) points out, language may be a source of thought and feeling as well as the means of expressing those thoughts and feelings. Research into linguistics and the diversity of cultures reveals astonishing connections between the ways people conceptualize reality through language and the ways people think about the world. "Thought is actually shaped by the language in which it is conducted," (Engel, 2000, p. 61). Because language is intimately tied to culture, it is clear that culture and socialization is one of the most important, if not the single most important, influence on thought and emotion. The differences between individuals is therefore due more to nurture than to nature, more to environment than to individual biology. It is not that there is no absolute reality, but that perceptions of that reality vary so widely as to make it appear that there can be little common ground.
Strong opinions and beliefs are thoughts that have become linked to feelings or emotions, showing also that reasoned thinking and emotional sensations are connected. Descartes could have just as well said, "I think, therefore I feel." B.F. Skinner's (1989) research on human psychology shows that behaviors are linked to thoughts and feelings that have become internalized, which is why it becomes critical to examine the root thoughts and feelings before engaging in a process of behavioral change. While the internalization or automation of thought has a valid function in that it makes our lives efficient, there are certainly drawbacks to operating reflexively. As Chaffee (2004) points out, the "examined life" is one that can be more productive and fruitful than a life that is lived unconsciously. Bad habits and other destructive behaviors may be traced to faulty thoughts or irrational emotions. The essence of cognitive-behavioral and other psychological therapies is that changing one's thoughts can lead to shifts in feeling and behavior. The practice of mindfulness can reveal patterns of thought that give rise to uncomfortable emotions or irrational behaviors.
The sources of the ways I personally think and feel include brain chemistry, genetics, personality, socialization, and culture. The nature versus nurture debate pertains to sources of thought because each person does think or feel according to both environmental factors like culture, and to individual differences due to brain chemistry or personality. I believe that both nature and nurture are responsible for generating my own thoughts and feelings. This is why my siblings might think and feel differently from me: they had the same environmental exposures as I did in terms of parental and societal influences. Yet my siblings think and feel differently because they are also wired differently.
Because each person has a unique set of worldviews and beliefs, it may be tempting to believe that reality is relative. In other words, no convincing "absolute" reality seems to exist. It is far more likely that everyone looks at reality from a different angle, but that the reality itself is a shared one with a concrete and absolute truth to it. If there were no concrete and absolute truth, then science would not be a valid human endeavor. As it stands, science exists to show that absolute measurements point to the only immutable truth. Feelings and perceptions might be fleeting and variable, but measurable facts are not. I might feel shocked or opposed to something I read about, but if it is a proven fact, then I do need to acknowledge that...
This is why many atheists have trouble with religion. Essentially, religious people base their claims on feelings, thoughts, or worldviews that are not grounded in fact. Atheists cultivate science-based viewpoints that stress absolute reality over emotionality. Knowing that there may be different ways of viewing reality, it is important to ground what I say I "know" in the language of science and/or math. The observable measures of reality are ones that can be communicated to people with different points-of-view.
References
Chaffee, J. (2004). Thinking critically: A concise guide. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Engel, S.M. (2000). The medium of language. In With Good Reason.
Hauser, M. (2009). The origin of the mind. Scientific American. Retrieved online: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/origin-of-the-mind/
Newman, L. (2014). Descartes' epistemology. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved online: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/descartes-epistemology/
Skinner, B.F. (1989). The origins of cognitive thought. Retrieved online: https://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/us/skinner.htm
Part Two
Reasoning is a method of thinking or type of thought process. Unlike emotions or emotional responses, reasoning is relatively systematic and relies on logic (Palmquist, n.d.). Moreover, reasoning almost by definition depends on detaching critical thought from intuition or feeling. In spite of the seemingly scientific process of reasoning, two people can argue about the same topic and come up with different solutions via different means. Differences in reasoning are linked to worldview and belief system because the process of reasoning depends on underlying values and assumptions. In order to reach the same conclusion about an issue, the two people need to begin with the same premises and use the same types of reasoning process, while also avoiding logical fallacies (Chaffee, 2004). As Engel (2000) also points out, differences in language or linguistic heritage can also impact the ways people use reasoning to think critically about the world.
Palmquist (n.d.) notes that reasoning is a type of mental architecture. The philosopher Kant presented a view that shows human thought processes as being structural in nature. Each thought is supported or connected to other thoughts, and people eventually develop cognitive frameworks. Thus, there can be hundreds of people living on the same block but in different houses. People who live in houses that were built from the same materials and blueprints will think in similar ways; whereas those who live in radically different constructs will perceive and interact with their environments differently. All persons use reasoning, but people use different aspects of the reasoning process and apply reasoning at different times. For example, a religious person will suspend logical thought or reason when discussing matters of faith.
Feelings can sometimes be detached from reasoning, even though it may seem that human beings are prone to succumbing to the irrational sway of emotions. Emotions often do cloud human judgment. Far from being "passive," feelings can actively shape a person's worldview and belief systems.
References
Chaffee, J. (2004). Thinking critically: A concise guide. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Engel, S.M. (2000). The medium of language. In With Good Reason.
Palmquist, S. (n.d.). What is logic?
Part Three
Student One
This student makes several strong and important points about the nature and function of reasoning. First, the student states that the concept of reasoning is "one that we use so often that it often goes unnoticed in our daily actions." People have become so used to traveling down certain cognitive paths that we fail to recognize that there are different paths and different ways of viewing the same subject. Moreover, the ways we use reasoning goes unnoticed in the sense that the cognitive processes have become unconscious and internalized. As the student also points out, reasoning is ubiquitous in the ways we make decisions or go about our lives. "We use reason to justify our actions, understand situations, solve problems, and find our own personal comfort levels." Even though people use different types of reasoning and at different times, reasoning is part of the human experience.
The student also shows how reasoning can be based on fallacy or faulty premises. For example, a person who had a traumatic experience swimming as a child might grow up to fear water. The fear of water is a strong emotional response that is perfectly reasonable to the individual because of the experience of trauma. Yet to a person who has never had such a trauma, fear of water seems irrational.
Teacher Post/Student Two
Framing, context, bias, and…
