speak just for yourself, jonathan :)

An odd sentence. Is he saying that the masses cannot be relied upon to exercise reason since they are driven by self-interest and passion that may corrupt sound reason? Is he arguing for more law and to control the proclivities of man?

Swift was no fool, so it would be unwise to assume he was in gross error. I guess context is everything in this instance.

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It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. Aristotle

I think he was speaking about himself, not just others. If so, he got it right. {:-)

floyd

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“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”

http://books.google.com/books?id=TgsNAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA220&lpg=PA220&dq=What+book+is+this+after+Reason+itself+is+true+and+just,+but+the+reason+of+every+particular+man+is+weak+and+wavering,+perpetually+swayed+and+turned+by+his+interests,+his+passions,+and+his+vices.&source=bl&ots=tgtLXY6CQT&sig=iAmqQ4ezdQG9k8xkuPwDXjgIgaM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2-syT_KXKqHw0gH7pNHLBw&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=What%20book%20is%20this%20after%20Reason%20itself%20is%20true%20and%20just%2C%20but%20the%20reason%20of%20every%20particular%20man%20is%20weak%20and%20wavering%2C%20perpetually%20swayed%20and%20turned%20by%20his%20interests%2C%20his%20passions%2C%20and%20his%20vices.&f=false

look up "Jonathan Swift, the brave desponder - Google Books Result"

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I am carrying my heart~I am carrying my rhythm~I am carrying my prayers~But you can't kill my spirit~It's soaring and strong (Paula Cole's Me Lyrics)***We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We ARE spirtual beings having a human experience.(T.deChardin)***There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. (Albert Einstein)

hi

The Works of Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) English/Irish

The Works of Jonathan Swift : Containing interesting and Valuable...Volume 2 (according to book search)

I shall now make a few inferences and observations upon what has been said.

First, It would be well if people would not lay so much weight on their own reason, in matters of religion, as to think everything impossible and absurd which they cannot conceive. How often do we contradict the right rules of reason in the whole course of our lives! Reason itself is true and just, but the reason of every particular man is weak and wavering, perpetually swayed and turned by his interests, his passions, and his vices. Let any man but consider when he bath a controversy with another, though his cause he ever so unjust, though the whole world 'be against him, how blinded he is by the love of himself, to believe that right is wrong, and wrong is right, when it makes for his own advantage. Where is then the right use of his reason, which he so much boasts of, and which he would blasphemously set up to control the commands of the Almighty 1

Secondly, When men are tempted to deny the mysteries of religion, let them examine and search into their own hearts, whether they have not some favourite sin, which is of their party in this dispute, and which is equally contrary to other commands of God in the gospel. For why do men love darkness rather than light? The Scripture tells us, "because their deeds are evil;" and there can be no other reason assigned. Therefore, when men are curious and inquisitive to discover some weak sides in Christianity, and inclined to favour everything that is offered to its disadvantage, it is plain they wish it were not true; and those wishes can proceed from nothing but an evil conscience; because, if there be truth in our religion, their condition must be miserable.

And therefore, thirdly, Men should consider that raising difficulties concerning the mysteries in religion cannot make them more wise, learned, or virtuous; better neighbours or friends, or more serviceable to their country; but, whatever they pretend, will destroy their inward peace of mind by perpetual doubts and fears arising in their breasts. And God forbid we should ever see the times so bad, when dangerous opinions in religion will be a means to get favoured preferment; although, even in such a case, it would be an ill traffic to gain the world and lose our own souls. So that, upon the whole, it will be impossible to find any real use toward a virtuous or happy life by denying the mysteries of the gospel.

Fourthly, Those strong unbelievers, who expect that all mysteries should lie squared and fitted to their own reason, might have somewhat to say for themselves, if they could satisfy the general reason of mankind in their opinions ; but herein they are miserably defective, absurd, and ridiculous; they strain at a gnat and swallow a camel; they can believe that the world was made by chance ; that God doth not concern himself with things below; will neither punish vice nor reward virtue; that religion was invented by cunning men to keep the world in awe; with many other opinions, equally false and detestable, against the common light of nature as well as reason; against the universal sentiments of all civilised nations, and offensive to the ears even of a sober heathen.
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Well as we can plainly see Swift says Quite a lot in a short space of time in four easy steps. I think someone else said he was switched on also. Maybe it's how people of yesteryear may have interpreted matters of faith and the power of reason like the world is flat jks, or maybe someone walked on water, sort of like don't be so gullible :P but also allowing for mysteries and intrigue, The power of reason of course. That I guess leaves how we use reason such as, do we look upon something favourably, and or negatively. Someone once said it is easier to be negative rather than positive about some matters, since we often perhaps use reason to solve a problem. Then at the end of the day no one wants to sound like a whinger either :/ 4 squared seemed a bit funny. hmm...4 raised to the power of 2=16 16.4 = 64 that number holds some siniface I would have to say. Taking into account bedmas (brackets) changing the equation can be tricky sometimes.

Nothing odd here, methinks. He's just saying that we are not rational but rationalising animals. Reason would dictate that you spend more on education and health care than you do on weaponry, but...

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Sanity is not statistical

Not unreasonable, to be sure, but mens sana in corpore sano works for the body politic too. And when your weapons budget is so disproportionate then balance becomes unlikely. And at the risk of getting into a total quagmire here, defence spending needs to be on useful deterrence rather than toys. Stealth technology didn't help with the box-cutters - more ears on the ground might have. A crude analogy, perhaps, but I hope you get my point.

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Sanity is not statistical

Nuff said, can't disagree. Why is this thread so wide ?

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Sanity is not statistical