The Politics of Reason: Not Vertical but Horizontal Values
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The purpose of this paper is to study on reason, or the process of reasoning, in the age of Emersonian Enlightenment, by backcasting the circumstances and conditions in which new way of thinking had been established. On the threshold of 19th century, the reason had been believed to be a standard point for development and prosperity, and rational thinking had been given first priority above all things. In making a newly-born nation, it was important to focus on the values of individuals, and the advocacy on individual practices of reason served as driving forces to establish reason- centered social systems. However, this intellectual tradition only allows for majorities to have arbitrary legitimacy over minorities by self-declaring its invincible and absolute truth. Behind its legitimacy, there have been a dark side where a certain individual or a group of interests who asserts his or her rights in the name of reason in order to exclude and marginalize people who are against them. In this respect, this paper takes an example of statement made by a presidential candidate who wants be the president of the United States of America, which is multi-cultural and multi-racial nation. This practice of labeling according to race, religion, and skin colors is thought to be an act of violence that hinders the world prosperity. In making an external enemy, the members of the community exploit their reason, or reasoning, as an aggressive mechanism. By self-relying on reason and by instilling the biased point of view, the legitimacy and its supremacy are secured and handed down to the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants who think themselves as the most reasonable creature. Times, when the reason, rationality, and Enlightenment have same meaning with human advancement, came to an end. Tolerance, generosity, and embracement which were thought to be less vital are needed on the basis of equal rights and reciprocal hospitality between citizens and on the conviction that no one will acquire an enormous privilege to discriminate them on the ground of one's race, sex, religion, preference, and values.
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to study on reason, or the process of reasoning, in the age of Emersonian Enlightenment, by backcasting the circumstances and conditions in which new way of thinking had been established. On the threshold of 19th century, the reason had been believed to be a standard point for development and prosperity, and rational thinking had been given first priority above all things. In making a newly-born nation, it was important to focus on the values of individuals, and the advocacy on individual practices of reason served as driving forces to establish reason- centered social systems. However, this intellectual tradition only allows for majorities to have arbitrary legitimacy over minorities by self-declaring its invincible and absolute truth. Behind its legitimacy, there have been a dark side where a certain individual or a group of interests who asserts his or her rights in the name of reason in order to exclude and marginalize people who are against them. In this respect, this paper takes an example of statement made by a presidential candidate who wants be the president of the United States of America, which is multi-cultural and multi-racial nation. This practice of labeling according to race, religion, and skin colors is thought to be an act of violence that hinders the world prosperity. In making an external enemy, the members of the community exploit their reason, or reasoning, as an aggressive mechanism. By self-relying on reason and by instilling the biased point of view, the legitimacy and its supremacy are secured and handed down to the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants who think themselves as the most reasonable creature. Times, when the reason, rationality, and Enlightenment have same meaning with human advancement, came to an end. Tolerance, generosity, and embracement which were thought to be less vital are needed on the basis of equal rights and reciprocal hospitality between citizens and on the conviction that no one will acquire an enormous privilege to discriminate them on the ground of one's race, sex, religion, preference, and values.
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