Return to Reason

by Stephen Toulmin

The turmoil and brutality of the twentieth century have made it increasingly difficult to maintain faith in the ability of reason to fashion a stable and peaceful world. After the ravages of global conflict and a Cold War that divided the world's loyalties, how are we to master our doubts and face the twenty-first century with hope?

In Return to Reason , Stephen Toulmin argues that the potential for reason to improve our lives has been hampered by a serious imbalance in our pursuit of knowledge. The centuries-old dominance of rationality, a mathematical mode of reasoning modeled on theory and universal certainties, has diminished the value of reasonableness, a system of humane judgments based on personal experience and practice. To this day, academic disciplines such as economics and professions such as law and medicine often value expert knowledge and abstract models above the testimony of diverse cultures and the practical experience of individuals.

Now, at the beginning of a new century, Toulmin sums up a lifetime of distinguished work and issues a powerful call to redress the balance between rationality and reasonableness. His vision does not reject the valuable fruits of science and technology, but requires awareness of the human consequences of our discoveries. Toulmin argues for the need to confront the challenge of an uncertain and unpredictable world, not with inflexible ideologies and abstract theories, but by returning to a more humane and compassionate form of reason, one that accepts the diversity and complexity that is human nature as an essential beginning for all intellectual inquiry.

Genres: Philosophy, Logic, History Of Science

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Brent Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books. Gives a compelling and persuasive narrative explaining our traditional neglect of practical reasoning (in favor of abstract reasoning, theorizing, and quantitative modeling). Argues for a reversal of privilege, favoring action research, situated action, and applied reasoning. These are foundational ideas that should be well received in the practical arts such as teaching, nursing, medicine, architecture, and business.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most important books I have read. I tend to re-read it from time to time.

[Kurt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again (like Kosmopolis) a very rich book. If Kosmopolis was the yin, than this is the yang.
Very roughly said, Toulmin describes in this book the process of the 'return to reason' after the death of (modern) philosophy.

With reason, Toulmin means a balanced position generated out of the here and the now, in stead of being generated from the infinite theoretical, rational Truth generated by the 17th century Cartesian/Newtonian methodological system. In this process (in stead of in a deterministic way) the moral component becomes significant. Therefor Toulmin uses the model of a Clinical practice to clarify this process.

Return to reason pleads for revalueing the importance of the Greek 'metis', closely translated in the French 'métier', which contains actions that are not describable by means of language, but purely based on experience and discipline.

Reason is the way to make decisions in the here and the now, based on the balanced combination of ideals and reality. It pleads for taking charge of our free will to actively form our future independent of the unexpected events which can occur. The latter we don't have control on, but we can choose to aim for a reasonable goals to work towards, every day again.

Both Kosmopolis and this book were fundamental in forming my view on modern philosophy. Both books connect the historical context with the evolution of the philosophical/academical process over the last 400 years. Therefor 5 stars for both books.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful read. Very historical.