Optagon Publications - The Rationale of Civility

AMBITION: Lets talk a little more about Reason – do not most people already use Reason in their everyday lives?

ZESHAN: Yes, almost all of us use Reason in a more or less capacity in our everyday lives without thinking much of it. However, it’s safe to say that a lot of us fail as rational beings when we neglect to use Reason or discard it when we need it most. Reason is simply the logical inference of causes with their effects, or, vice versa, it is the inference of perceived effects with their causes. If most human beings rigorously and consistently applied reason in dealing with themselves and with others around them, then we would be living in a very much peaceful world. Let’s just look at the basic human manner of civility. There is a rationale behind it. Civility is all about having regard and respect for the other, this is so because the goal is, or, at least ought to be, to cause a peaceful ambience and outcome. However, if we act with indifference, and, or, hostility towards the other, then this perceivably would cause feelings, and, or, actions of animosity in the other. The adage that violence begets violence is quite predictable.

- Excerpt of the IHR's interview by the Ambition (Vol. 19, No. 10)