1. One paragraph summary of the key idea summarizing the major idea of the section.
The most important idea from this section is reason and the different ways we can use Reason. The book defines reason as, “The power to think in such a way that we proceed from what we know to what we do not yet know.” (FRR 58) Reason is used in everything we do, and especially in the matters of Theology and Philosophy. Since theology is “faith seeking understanding” (FRR 46) it makes sense that we would use reason to come to conclusions about our Faith. Because there is so much that we do not know concerning our religion, reasoning often can help us come to some sorts of conclusions. And as for philosophy, or “love of wisdom” (FRR 48), it is clear that reason will be important to understanding philosophy, because everything we do not know, we need some amount of reason to understand it. We can learn basically three ways: Experience, Authority, and Reason. If we actually live out something, we learn experientially. If we believe what other people tell us, we learn through authority figures. However, we do not always reason correctly, thus the five common thinking errors exist. A non sequitur is when the premises that lead to a conclusion are correct, but the conclusion is not correct. False and vague premises mean that the conclusion is correct, but the steps that led to it were either not correct or not clear. Ad hominem is when instead of attacking a person’s argument, someone will attack the person instead. Begging the question means that to prove a point, the person uses a premise that implies the conclusion. Finally a red herring is when a person intentionally throws the argument off topic. These are the most important ideas that come from the topic of reason.
2. List and explain three of the most important ideas you want to remember from this week.
1. The Three Kinds of Knowledge
a. Experience - Experiential knowledge is knowledge that comes from personal experiences. We perceive experiential knowledge through the five senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell) and that information is stored in our brains.
b. Authority - Because we cannot experience everything (such as how molecules work, or what is in the universe) we believe in what other, more wise people in a subject, tell us is true. Authoritative knowledge is that which we learn from other, more knowing people.
c. Reason - Our minds are able to deduce things which we do not know by using the information we do know. This is called reason. By using prior knowledge (premises) and connecting them, we can come to conclusions.
2. The Five Steps to Critical Thinking
a. Know the Facts - to think intelligently, it is important that we know what we are talking about. Of course, we cannot know everything (ignorance), but if we make an attempt to make ourselves informed of a topic, we can better reason and think critically.
b. The Principle of Contradiction - One thing cannot be two contradicting things at the same time (not both A and not-A) It is incorrect to think that, for example, “Jesus’ Resurrection was both a real event, and it never happened” (FRR 70). An event, such as this, must be either one or the other. There is no middle ground.
c. Define Your Terms - To be able to reason accurately, it is important to understand the words you use in discussion. Vague words such as “sincere” can sometimes confuse people as to what you are really saying.
d. Be Intellectually Humble - To be intellectually humble means to realize that there is always much more to learn. When you think too highly of your own intelligence, first that means that all of the work of famous thinkers were wrong, and second it could possible make you look foolish for being wrong.
e. Look For Different Prospective - Because there is always more than one way to see an issue, it is important to see other peoples’ POV. To see an issue from another’s perspective allows you to better understand the issue, and maybe come to a conclusion.
a. Theology is “faith seeking understanding” (FRR 46) Theology is studied because people love God so much that they have a desire to learn and understand Him more fully. It is important that a theologian has Faith, because without Faith, a person cannot study Faith. There are many different forms of Theology that specialize in different fields, including Biblical Theology, Sacramental Theology, Marian Theology, Trinitarian Theology, etc. They are all basically different sections trying to understand the same thing: God. Great theologians are named Doctors of the Church when their teachings enhance the understanding of Catholic Faith. Some Doctors include St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Thomas Aquinas.
b. Philosophy is the “love of wisdom” (coming from the Greek). Philosophy seeks to answer some of the big questions of human existence, such as “why are we here?” or “what is my purpose?” Although we cannot answer them fully, we can get closer to the answers through philosophy. Philosophers use “reasoned knowledge” (FRR 48) to find answers, meaning they use reason to try to explain that which is unknown. Like theology, there are many philosophies, such as Epistemology (the study of knowledge), Moral Philosophy, Natural Philosophy, etc.
I think this image is a perfect example of reason because it shows the brain: the main organ used in reasoning as well as the control center for all of our actions.
4. One question you should keep with you to ponder.
In the big choices in my life, am I using reason to determine whether the choice I pick is the one that will be most beneficial?
5. What should you try to do to make you a better person, a more faithful person, from this study?
I think that, for me, the biggest thing I can do is try to reason more in my everyday life. I realized from this course that I can think without reasoning, and I need to stop that, because thinking without reasoning is sloppy thinking. Also I need to be aware of the five common thinking errors, because I’m sure I use them all the time. Finally I think I need to make sure I have most of the five steps to critical thinking when I do reason things.
