Common Sense and Rationality
A Philosophical Investigation
Abstract
Common sense and rationality are two of the fundamental notions in philosophy that define human thinking, reasoning, and behavior. In general, common sense denotes the practical knowledge and beliefs possessed by ordinary people, while rationality implies logical thinking and justified reasoning. Philosophers of all times – from Aristotle to Thomas Reid, fromDescartes to Hume, from Kant to Moore and Ludwig Wittgenstein – have explored the relations between common sense and rationalityin their own ways. This investigation discusses the question about how common sense and rationality are associated in philosophy. The study also argues that common sense is the base of human knowledge and thinking, which is corrected by the notion of rationality. Moreover, this work will explore the importance of common sense for ethics, science, education, politics, and modern technology-based society. For many years, common sense has been a prominent element of philosophical research, representing the basis of human reasoning, but being criticized by sceptics and rationalists. From Aristotle and Thomas Reid up to the contemporary discussions about artificial intelligence, common sense continues to be an important notion in terms of understanding human knowledge, ethics, politics, science, and education.Six related issues to be explored in this essay include common sense and skepticism; ethics and political rationality; common sense in science, education, and political philosophy; artificial intelligence and common sense reasoning; and modern philosophical discussions on common sense and rationality. Philosophical analysis in this study shows that common sense cannot be taken as an infallible source of knowledge, nor can it be viewed as merely a prejudice. Instead, it is a type of rationality used by humans in practice.
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References
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