Reason: Higher Function Or What You Are Using It For?

There are many people who have a negative view of feelings. My question to them is, If feelings are so bad why did they exist in the first place? On this there are any number of schools of thought.

According to some, human nature is of the Satan. If that is true, then it is in no way limited to feelings. It would also include such things as reason and faith.

Then there are others who claim that reason is the higher function. I am good enough at reasoning, but I do not believe that there is such a thing as the higher function. A function is what you are using it for. If you are designing an engine or writing a program, then you are doing the right thing with your higher function. If you are using it to attack feelings or faith, then you are not.

I see no reason whatever to see either reasoning or feeling as a higher function or a lower function. Both are capable of good and bad. This is the case with reason; this is the case with feeling; this is the case with just about everything else that is there.

I am not against reason. I am however against ignorance and destructive behavior. The people who use the claim that they are rational to attack and abuse their partner are doing the wrong thing. They get all sorts of things out of being with the partner. But because they think that feelings are an inferior function, they become highly emotionally abusive, and they fail to compensate the partner according to the benefit that they are getting from them.

There is such a thing as religious misogyny; and there is such a thing as rational misogyny. If a man thinks that anything with feelings is an inferior form of life, then he is going to be abusive to his female partner. Most such men are spoiled and have no idea how good they have it. They need to deal with the kinds of women I've dealt with before they appreciate what they have. A woman who has no use for feelings can be a horrible creature. These men have no idea how good they have it. Which means that it might work in their best interests to be given a sense of perspective.

Are feelings bad? Some can be good and some can be bad. Same with reason; same with faith; same with just about anything else that is there. I see no reason at all to see either of these as being higher or lower. According to any number of religions, reason is bad as well. There is everything to be said in favor of positive uses of reason. There is a lot also to be said against the use of reason for abuse.

It's not what function you use. It's what you are using it for. If you are using reason constructively, then that is a virtue. If you are using it destructively, it is not. Same is the case with feelings and just about anything else that is there.

Once again, I see no reason at all to see anything as a higher function or a lower function. There are all sorts of things out there that think that reason is a lower function as well. If you believe that reason is a good thing, then use it rightfully. Use it for things such as technological and economic progress. But do not pretend that using it to control people who have use for feelings is either rational or responsible. It is no such thing; and using reason for such wrongful ends insults the reputation of reason.