What is the distinction between reason and passion?

Question

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Have a great day!

Answer 1

Immanuel Kant saw thought as determined by what he called categories. Close parallels can be made between these categories and what Freud called ego defences, which are ways of coping with unpleasant memories, feelings, experiences and so forth. I would say that this indicates there is a closer connection between reason and passion than is immediately apparent, namely that beliefs and apparently rational thought processes are actually completely determined by passion. We tend to prefer arguments which justify our current position. For instance, someone who is in a poorly paid job may unconsciously arrive at a convincing reason why their job is a good one, someone in a less than ideal relationship may see positive qualities in their partner that aren't really there and someone with an extreme political opinion will probably have a sensible-sounding argument for it.

I would say that this process is actually universal. All "rational" thought is in fact rationalisation - an emotional attempt to justify one's beliefs.

This has a number of consequences. Firstly, the notion of reasonableness is incoherent, and it is unrealistic to expect people to be reasonable. Secondly, it works the other way and a counselling situation where one is expected to suspend one's reason to "get in touch with one's emotions" is artificial. Thirdly, listening to the emotional baseline in what someone is saying, whereas it is worthwhile, carries the danger of not listening to the actual semantic content of what someone is trying to communicate.

In other words, there is no distinction between reason and passion. Reason is passion which is in denial about its own motives, and passion is free-ranging reason.

Answer 2

"Our two minds .... One is an act of the emotional
mind, the other of the rational mind. In a very
real sense we have two minds, one that thinks and
one that feels" (Daniel Goleman, Emotional
Intelligence, Bloomsbury Publishing, London, 1996,
page 8). This rational mind is also called the
faculty of logic and reason.

The Upanishads say that these two are opposite in
nature. Modern psychologist also have observed it,
but they are not very sure about it:

"At the same time, reason sometimes clearly seems
to come into conflict with some desires (even
while not being in conflict with others) giving us
the impression that reason is separate from
emotion".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reason

The emotional mind deals with passion. The rational mind
deals with reason.

Answer 3

reason is what happens when you think things out before acting.
passion is what happens when you don't.
i'd like to say i prefer passion, because i don't want to seem souless but honestly, reason is better for me. every mistake i've ever made has been a passionate one. some would say its better to make a thousand passionate mistakes than one good, reasonable decision. but i think that's balls. passion makes me feel great whilst i f*ck up and reason makes me feel great while not f*cking up. doesn't take a genius to work out which is better.
it's just a shame i've never been able to put my theory into practice.

Answer 4

i believe - as well as experience- reason is a conclusive understanding that arises with significant concious thought. OR a comprehensive conclusion which results from/with the awareness of the concience.
Whiles Passion is ones drive for goal against all odds.

Hope this works out
Adios

Answer 5

Reason demands objectivity whereas passion calls for subjectivity........ when we are greatly attached, it gives us passion and we need to learn to detach ourselves in order to be able to reason out. Reason and passion are thus opposites.

However, it just can't be that simple when it comes to our mind and its ways. There are people who have passion for being a person of reason.... most of the intellectuals come in this category. And those who are passionate have their own way of reasoning..... that's why the saying... the heart has its own reason. When anyone is in the passionate frame of mind, normal reason goes on a holiday and the passion creates its own logic to justify its aim.

Subject to the inevitable exceptions, passionate people are generally loved or hated and people with high quality of reasoning are generally respected or feared.

While reason serves us, we end up serving our passion. This is why political power depends on the ability to stir up passions among the public..... in other words the ability to use own reason to stimulate others' passions.

Answer 6

Catholics prepare idol worship, protestants do not. Catholics prepare Maryology, protestants do not. The Catholic doctrine replace into declared a faith interior the twelve months 380 and from there on their doctrine has replaced for the period of ecumenical council conferences. The protestants have observed the words of the bible because of the fact God's be conscious in no way alterations. that's my concept for this reason there are this variety of super variety of alterations interior of Christians and different religions.

Answer 7

The form of the thought, not regarded or identified as thought is unified logic with spirit, reason. Passion is a different notion as the peculiar individual discerns spirits actions in its different moments as something other than the determinants for its logic. Such a notion is insane for it sees logic having its determinants and spirit as having its determinants so that personality is divided in its self. But as we may see from other studies that this is the norm for human conscious development: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick_Erickson

The Erikson life-stage virtues, in the order of the stages in which they may be acquired, are:

hope- Basic Trust vs. Mistrust

will- Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

purpose- Initiative vs. Guilt

competence- Industry vs. Inferiority

fidelity- Identity vs. Role Confusion

love (in intimate relationships, work and family)- Intimacy vs. Isolation

caring- Generativity vs. Stagnation

wisdom- Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Answer 8

I think reason would be something which is more universal where as passion is more of a subjective thing...
When it comes to passion, people have different tastes and fetishes and so on and so forth...but reason is more..."serious" and will normally come up with something which could make you go "yeah but I don't want to"....Our wants are like our passions...I think...

Answer 9

Passion is reason but reason isn't necessarily passion. Reasons can be both positive and negative. If you have to do it and you know it but yet you don't want to, then you're definitely not passionate. Still, that is a reason. Passion is more of the "positive" side of one's reasons.

Answer 10

The same as the difference between Egg and Chips and Sausage and Chips, with or without brown sauce, and whether or not you have three or four slices of bread and butter, and whether you have tea or coffee, in a mug or a cup. And is the sun shining through the cafe window, or is it raining?