Reason v. Rationalization

I picked the paragraph entitled Taxes because the other two articles’ authors used fairly evident rationalization to justify their beliefs or feelings. I think think this paragraph uses [more] reason than the other two – although it presents an opinion, it also shows the reader why they think that the government is taking advantage of taxpayers. They give a few examples of how the government bails out banks with taxpayers’ money, and how you have to file taxes even while in a coma. They display logic, whether or not the reader really agrees with the author’s stance.

The first paragraph about a fox trying to get grapes displays rationalization over reason. He is ultimately frustrated that he was unable to reach the grapes, so he cuts himself slack and tries to justify it by saying that he didn’t want the “sour and wormy” grapes to begin with, even though he contradicts himself with his own behavior.

The third paragraph, although written by the noteable Benjamin Franklin, also fails to display any logic/reasoning. He states at the beginning that he believes that killing animals when they posed no threat is wrong. Later on, he says that he saw that even animals feed upon one another, and thereafter tells himself that it’s okay to eat the fish because he’s just going along with the way of life. He doesn’t present any real truth that would tell him whether it is right or wrong to eat meat – it’s just opinion-based.

So, I think that the paragraph Taxes differs from these other two paragraphs in that its author does have a real reason to boycott taxpaying and to dislike the government.

~ by Alex H. on April 29, 2009.