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Is there anything that is actually irrational?

mr.minormr.minor
edited February 2011 in Taoism and the Tao Te Ching
This is kind of a semantic idea, but I was wondering what something means to be irrational. How can something be irrational? To be irrational, means for something to be illogical, unfounded, or as my dictionary says; "not endowed with the power of reason." Does such a thing exist? :shock:

What a conundrum! Perhaps this "power of reason," the thinking mind, is the boundary to awareness?

Comments

  • CarlCarl
    Good question. I suppose I see irrational as describing emotional involvement. The more emotionally involved one is, the more irrational any thoughts they have will invariably be. Our needs and fears (the root of emotion) are the engine that drive 'our' (i.e., all animals) lives. That means that all thought is irrational to some degree - even what I'm thinking and writing right now. (Non thinking animals aren't irrational because they don't think at all.)

    By "boundary to awareness", do you mean the wall around awareness? If so, yes. Believing what we think puts up a wall that helps us feeling safe and sound. The price we pay for that safety is ignorance of what lies beyond that belief. It is a natural trade off.
  • mr.minormr.minor
    well said, thanks!
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