John Rawls Quotes

The very essence of rationalism is that it assumes that the reason is the highest faculty in man and the lord of all the rest.

That's the beauty of argument, if you argue correctly, you're never wrong.

Logic is the art of convincing us some truth.

There is a mighty big difference between good sound reasons and reasons that sound good.

I will live by the standard of reason, and if thinking in accordance with reason takes me to perdition, then I will go to hell with my reason rather than to heaven without it.

You could reason with someone who was halfway educated and appeal to his intelligence, but I felt helpless in the face of utter stupidity.

Logic is a very beautiful thing. As long as it is not abused.

Reason is universal because no attempted challenge to its results can avoid appealing to reason in the end-by claiming, for example, that what was presented as an argument is really a rationalization. This can undermine our confidence in the original method or practice only by giving us reasons to believe something else, so that finally we have to think about the arguments to make up our minds.

[Louis Brandeis] insisted on the necessity of public reason, which he thought could only be achieved if all of us just take the time to inform ourselves about the best arguments on all sides of questions so that we can make up our own minds.

A definition is the start of an argument, not the end of one.

Respect for the dignity of others includes treating them as rational creatures capable of being persuadad by rational argument, even in the face of frequent evidence to the contrary.

Trying to prove something to someone is never a valid reason for doing anything.

Abstract truth is the eye of reason.

All opinions are not equal. Some are a very great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others.

Bein logical gave me a reason to doubt

Affect not little shifts and subterfuges to avoid the force of an argument.

When you have answers, when everything has a reason, when it makes sense to an analytical person, you're going to be more successful. You're going to be more comfortable.

I would like to be judged on the validity of my arguments, not as a victim.

The soundest argument will produce no more conviction in an empty head than the most superficial declamation; as a feather and a guinea fall with equal velocity in a vacuum.

Logic is a wonderful invention. It is so wonderful, people often mistake it for reason. Reason, however, requires sense. Logic requires only consistency.

The required techniques of effective reasoning are pretty formal, but as long as programming is done by people that don't master them, the software crisis will remain with us and will be considered an incurable disease. And you know what incurable diseases do: they invite the quacks and charlatans in, who in this case take the form of Software Engineering gurus.

It's against reason," said Filby. "What reason?" said the Time Traveller.

It is impossible to get anywhere without sinning against reason.

He who in reasoning cites authority is making use of his memory rather than of his intellect.

The claim is also sometimes made that science is as arbitrary or irrational as all other claims to knowledge, or that reason itself is an illusion. As Ethan Allen said Those who invalidate reason ought seriously to consider whether they argue against reason with or without reason; if with reason, then they establish the principle that they are labouring to dethrone. If they argue without reason, which they must do, in order to be consistent with themselves, they are out of reach of rational conviction, nor do they deserve a rational argument.