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reasonmore about reason

reason


  6  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Reason  \Rea"son\,  n.  [OE.  resoun,  F.  raison,  fr  L.  ratio  (akin 
  to  Goth.  rapj?  number,  account,  garapjan  to  count  G.  rede 
  speech,  reden  to  speak),  fr  reri,  ratus,  to  reckon,  believe, 
  think.  Cf  {Arraign},  {Rate},  {Ratio},  {Ration}.] 
  1.  A  thought  or  a  consideration  offered  in  support  of  a 
  determination  or  an  opinion;  a  just  ground  for  a 
  conclusion  or  an  action  that  which  is  offered  or  accepted 
  as  an  explanation;  the  efficient  cause  of  an  occurrence  or 
  a  phenomenon;  a  motive  for  an  action  or  a  determination; 
  proof,  more  or  less  decisive,  for  an  opinion  or  a 
  conclusion;  principle;  efficient  cause  final  cause 
  ground  of  argument. 
 
  I'll  give  him  reasons  for  it  --Shak. 
 
  The  reason  of  the  motion  of  the  balance  in  a  wheel 
  watch  is  by  the  motion  of  the  next  wheel.  --Sir  M. 
  Hale. 
 
  This  reason  did  the  ancient  fathers  render,  why  the 
  church  was  called  ``catholic.''  --Bp.  Pearson. 
 
  Virtue  and  vice  are  not  arbitrary  things  but  there 
  is  a  natural  and  eternal  reason  for  that  goodness 
  and  virtue,  and  against  vice  and  wickedness. 
  --Tillotson. 
 
  2.  The  faculty  of  capacity  of  the  human  mind  by  which  it  is 
  distinguished  from  the  intelligence  of  the  inferior 
  animals;  the  higher  as  distinguished  from  the  lower 
  cognitive  faculties,  sense  imagination,  and  memory,  and 
  in  contrast  to  the  feelings  and  desires.  Reason  comprises 
  conception,  judgment,  reasoning,  and  the  intuitional 
  faculty.  Specifically,  it  is  the  intuitional  faculty,  or 
  the  faculty  of  first  truths,  as  distinguished  from  the 
  understanding,  which  is  called  the  discursive  or 
  ratiocinative  faculty. 
 
  We  have  no  other  faculties  of  perceiving  or  knowing 
  anything  divine  or  human,  but  by  our  five  senses  and 
  our  reason.  --P.  Browne. 
 
  In  common  and  popular  discourse,  reason  denotes  that 
  power  by  which  we  distinguish  truth  from  falsehood, 
  and  right  from  wrong  and  by  which  we  are  enabled  to 
  combine  means  for  the  attainment  of  particular  ends 
  --Stewart. 
 
  Reason  is  used  sometimes  to  express  the  whole  of 
  those  powers  which  elevate  man  above  the  brutes,  and 
  constitute  his  rational  nature,  more  especially, 
  perhaps,  his  intellectual  powers;  sometimes  to 
  express  the  power  of  deduction  or  argumentation. 
  --Stewart. 
 
  By  the  pure  reason  I  mean  the  power  by  which  we 
  become  possessed  of  principles.  --Coleridge. 
 
  The  sense  perceives;  the  understanding,  in  its  own 
  peculiar  operation,  conceives;  the  reason,  or 
  rationalized  understanding,  comprehends. 
  --Coleridge. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Reason  \Rea"son\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Reasoned};  p.  pr  &  vb 
  n.  {Reasoning}.]  [Cf.  F.  raisonner.  See  {Reason},  n.] 
  1.  To  exercise  the  rational  faculty;  to  deduce  inferences 
  from  premises;  to  perform  the  process  of  deduction  or  of 
  induction;  to  ratiocinate;  to  reach  conclusions  by  a 
  systematic  comparison  of  facts. 
 
  2.  Hence:  To  carry  on  a  process  of  deduction  or  of  induction, 
  in  order  to  convince  or  to  confute;  to  formulate  and  set 
  forth  propositions  and  the  inferences  from  them  to  argue. 
 
  Stand  still  that  I  may  reason  with  you  before  the 
  Lord,  of  all  the  righteous  acts  of  the  Lord.  --1 
  Sam.  xii.  7. 
 
  3.  To  converse;  to  compare  opinions.  --Shak. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Reason  \Rea"son\,  v.  t. 
  1.  To  arrange  and  present  the  reasons  for  or  against;  to 
  examine  or  discuss  by  arguments;  to  debate  or  discuss;  as 
  I  reasoned  the  matter  with  my  friend. 
 
  When  they  are  clearly  discovered,  well  digested,  and 
  well  reasoned  in  every  part  there  is  beauty  in  such 
  a  theory.  --T.  Burnet. 
 
  2.  To  support  with  reasons,  as  a  request.  [R.]  --Shak. 
 
  3.  To  persuade  by  reasoning  or  argument;  as  to  reason  one 
  into  a  belief;  to  reason  one  out  of  his  plan 
 
  Men  that  will  not  be  reasoned  into  their  senses 
  --L'Estrange. 
 
  4.  To  overcome  or  conquer  by  adducing  reasons;  --  with  down 
  as  to  reason  down  a  passion. 
 
  5.  To  find  by  logical  process;  to  explain  or  justify  by 
  reason  or  argument;  --  usually  with  out  as  to  reason  out 
  the  causes  of  the  librations  of  the  moon. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  reason 
  n  1:  a  rational  motive  for  a  belief  or  action  "the  reason  that 
  war  was  declared";  "the  grounds  for  their  declaration" 
  [syn:  {ground}] 
  2:  an  explanation  of  the  cause  of  some  phenomenon;  "the  reason 
  a  steady  state  was  never  reached  was  that  the  back 
  pressure  built  up  too  slowly" 
  3:  the  capacity  for  rational  thought  or  inference  or 
  discrimination;  "we  are  told  that  man  is  endowed  with 
  reason  and  capable  of  distinguishing  good  from  evil"  [syn: 
  {understanding},  {intellect}] 
  4:  the  state  of  having  good  sense  and  sound  judgment;  "his 
  rationality  may  have  been  impaired";  "he  had  to  rely  less 
  on  reason  than  on  rousing  their  emotions"  [syn:  {rationality}, 
  {reasonableness}] 
  5:  a  justification  for  something  existing  or  happening;  "he  had 
  no  cause  to  complain";  "they  had  good  reason  to  rejoice" 
  [syn:  {cause},  {grounds}] 
  6:  a  fact  that  logically  justifies  some  premise  or  conclusion; 
  "there  is  reason  to  believe  he  is  lying" 
  v  1:  decide  by  reasoning;  draw  or  come  to  a  conclusion;  "We 
  reasoned  that  it  was  cheaper  to  rent  than  to  buy  a 
  house"  [syn:  {reason  out},  {conclude}] 
  2:  present  reasons  and  arguments  [syn:  {argue}] 
  3:  think  logically 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  REASON,  v.i.  To  weight  probabilities  in  the  scales  of  desire. 
 
 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  REASON,  n.  Propensitate  of  prejudice. 
 
 




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