Reason Vs. Desire

Reason Vs. Desire

There are many definitions of reason. It could be a justification for an action; for example, the reason I don’t have my work is because my dog ate it. It could be a good or obvious cause to do something, for example we have a reason to celebrate. But in Plato’s case, it was the power in the mind to think, understand and form judgments by a process of logic. It is what is morally right or practical. Plato himself believed that we are conflicted between appetite, spiritedness, and reason, and must control ourselves by reason. But is this necessarily true?

There is an extent in which we have to let our reason control ourselves, as in the example of whether or not you should steal something, whether you should skip class, or if you should give that cute guy sitting next to your number even though you’re dating someone.

But if let reason overpower all our other senses, eventually you will become obsessed with your desires that you are neglecting. For instance, we have all skipped a meal at one point in our life, whether we were busy, or simply didn’t realize. Eventually, your mind becomes preoccupied with the idea of food. That work in front of you becomes insignificant, and all you can think about is the moment you will be able to have that first bite of something completely satisfying. Although this may not be an example in which reason was completely evident, it applies to all of our other desires as well. The longer we avoid a craving for something the more overpowering it becomes. Whether it’s a longing for love or sex, food, or drink, the longer you avoid them the more you will yearn for them.

To be reasonable constantly would mean neglecting many of your emotional needs as well, not simply your physical desires. There are people all over the world who have many regrets, because instead of doing what they desire, they do what is considered right. Imagine a man and a woman, deeply in love. Yet his eyes begin to wander, and he somehow finds himself in love...