In order to be rational, you have to be logical to some extent, but one can be highly logical while being very irrational. In this class, I want you to be aware that developing a more logical, critical mind does not require you to accept any particular goals or set of values. Logical thinking serves pre-determined goals and values. Logic and emotion are not enemies. Emotion can interfere with critical thinking, but only when it is emotion that is out of balance .
Healthy emotions are a necessary and helpful partner for logical thinking.
Mr. Spock from Star Trek embodies the myth that emotion is the enemy of logic and thus should be repressed. The truth is that logic without a healthy emotional involvement in your world is useless. A common stereotype sees the logical person as the opposite of the artistic person. The truth is that everybody needs logic just as everybody needs art, creativity, and imagination. Being a good critical thinker actually requires highly developed creativity and imagination, and logical thinking is greatly aided by highly developed forms of visual thinking .