The Scope Of Rationalism

Anyone who would charge into a room devoid of all light and claim to see despite the total darkness would be scoffed at by many people.  Despite this, all but a miniscule number of people routinely act and speak as if they can obtain knowledge about a given ethical, metaphysical, or general philosophical matter without the light of reason, oblivious to or unconcerned with the epistemological darkness they reside in.  Instead of embracing the tool that sheds at least some light on all facets of reality, the majority chooses to ignore reason, which lies at the heart of all other things.

To venture through life without rationalism is a deeper mistake than any other.  Rationalistic philosophy encompasses everything from logic and epistemology to science and friendship to entertainment and sexuality--nothing is outside the domain of philosophy, and thus nothing is outside the domain of reason.  Some topics might be more significant than others, but logic governs each one of them all the same.  The universal reach of logic is the one thing that binds all of reality together.

This universal reach, thus, is what binds together all sound philosophical pursuits, for reason alone unifies all branches of philosophy into a complex, interlocking whole.  All that exists, and all that can be known, inevitably submits to the first principles that cannot be denied without being affirmed in the process.  Just as it would be entirely foolish to rush into darkness and claim to see one's surroundings, it is asinine to suppose that one can understand reality without the light of reason.  There cannot be a greater folly than this.

The person who consistently yields to reason, rather than refusing to align with it, will find a wealth of knowledge is theirs for the taking.  The diversity of the subjects that logic illuminates is immense, extending far beyond where the petty worldviews of non-rationalists end (it is only fitting that my 1,000th article celebrates the wide scope of rationalistic knowledge!).  When one is aligned with genuine rationalism, one is never in complete darkness despite the numerous epistemological limitations tied to the human condition.