The Washington herald., 1921-12-05
"Feeling" and Reason.

To the Editor, The Washington Herald:
The heading on my letter published
Thursday in regard to logical fall
lacies. The Ratiocinstive Method"
reminded me Of very prevalent
belief that many truths are not sus-
ceptible OF approach by reasoning
the other avenues being intuition and
common sense.
Before some reader makes this re-
ply. I am going to answer in ad-
vance, because / am convinced that
the above idea Is a superstition not
belonging TO the most advanced men
tality, and that II denotes intellectual
inertia rather than superior spiritual
ity or judgment, respectively. 1t is
that very BELIEF to which the heather
appeals, in fact, when urged to adopt
Christianity as a religion better than
his own, or as one substantiated by
fulfilled prophecies (Which is an ap-
peal to his reason). But the saw
ages intuition" or his feelings, tell
him that his own religion is the
right one. and that it is wicked TO
consider otherwise. II you deny &,
is intuition, how can you prove 1;
10 him when he cannot reason with
you? He accordingly goes ahead with
his human sacrifices and car of jug
gernaut. etc. under the impression
that he Is pious and resisting inf.
deity.
As to common sense. the savage
thinks the unfamiliar is a viola tion
I
their own viewpoint is the one OF
common sense" who is 10 proy,
II without reason? II the idea car
be sustained in the light of inteIli.
gent thought. then II is reason,
Likewise, one cannot trust to feel.
ing alone, because many condition.
besides truth can produce the feel.
ing that the truth exists, when Il
does not-3ust as subconscious fe.,
OF punishment is so generally inter.
preted as conscience. In order Z,
be sure that the testimony of feel.
ing regarding a truth or fact is cor.
rect, we must prove (by reasoningl
that nothing except that truth or fac
could produce the feeling. Reason
can be traced back to axioms, mad,
mathematically exact, and it's denia
shown to be self-contradictory, wher
the human race has learned to avoid
fallacies and reason mathematicaRy
But one has no evidence that tn,
testimony of feeling is correct excep
Its own testimony: and IL IL be n
error in the irst case il will probabl,
be so in the other.
| The grain of truth in the ponu
lar belief regarding feelings" lie
in the fact that feeling alone tell
one of his inner spiritual condition
of happiness or unhappiness. An,
to 60 from that to the next step-
the necessity and obligation of re
specting the happiness and we.far
of other creatures-is so simpl
that no involved steps are require,
to arrive at the truth. But the oh
vious fact is that there Is no n ag
ical force OF nature. generally fan
cied as something composed o
nothing" which is going to pro
ject the future into the present. /
cannot even give reliable informs
ton as to right and wrong. for /
is certain that mans conception d
religion and moral obligation lie
pends on his own degree OF en-
lightenment, and the savage vii
always imagine that a divine fore
Is prompting what we regard a
evid@ces OF depravity. OF cours
we do not regard ourselves as saw
ages. But neither does the savag
SO regard himself-if he did. h
! would be superior to that stag.
and hence not fully a savage.
thousand years from now We sh&l
all be regarded as undeveloped ape