Reason vs. Passion: Understanding the Human Mind and Its Driving Forces

Reason vs. Passion: Understanding the Human Mind

In the realm of the human mind, it is possible to distinguish two major classes of processes. The first class is characterized by the ego seeing itself as a subject agent. In this state, the "I" actively assents to propositions, adopts beliefs, and makes conscious decisions. The second class of processes is characterized by the "I" seeing itself as a subject patient. Here, the "I" does not feel as though it is choosing its desires, feelings, or thoughts. Instead, these desires, emotions, and feelings seem to arise spontaneously within, as if they are being suffered.

Believing, remembering, imagining, judging, etc., are deliberate processes in that the "I" chooses whether or not to engage in them. We say that these processes are rational, given that the decision to engage in them is based on reason or cause. However, desires, emotions, and feelings seem to be chosen not by the "I", but rather arise without apparent reason or motive. Traditionally, these have been deemed irrational processes. The first class is called reason because these processes are rational, and the second class is called passion because they are endured by the "I".

Human beings are capable of shifting from one position to another, from agent to patient and vice-versa. Moreover, our way of life demands it. Traditionally, it was believed that both beliefs, memories, imagined visions, etc. (what we call reason), and desires, emotions, and feelings (what we call passion) were set in motion by forces. According to this thought, the issue was that very often, the force of passion pulls us in an opposite direction to that of reason. This produces a kind of struggle between opposing forces in the sense that they "push" for contrary movements. Humans, it would seem, are split in two. On one hand, they would be the source of beliefs, ideals, or imaginings; on the other, the receptacle of desires, affections, and feelings. On one hand, they would be rational beings; on the other, passionate beings. And these two aspects, reason and passion, are usually presented as opposing forces.

The Driving Force: Understanding the Mind's Energy

The Stoics were the first to state the existence of a tendency or a radical effort in all animals to maintain their existence, even before the activity of reason has begun. Every animal has a tendency to love everything that can preserve its existence and reject anything that can cause its destruction. (This is simply the setup of vital functions). Nor should this be identified with an instinct, as an instinct is a specific pattern of conduct that is genetically inherited. Rather, it is a basic and fundamental want, i.e., not something physiological. Max Scheler believed that even plants exhibited a paltry level of this basic and fundamental form of wish when they "targeted", for example, light or humidity, or moved away from, for example, salt.

In human beings, there is this kind of force or basic energy. In humans, this energy is displayed above all in the effort to live more fully and perfectly. From this desire to live more fully and perfectly, the variety of desires, emotions, and human feelings can be explained as forms derived from two basic feelings: joy when humans feel their capacity to live increase, and sadness when they feel it diminish. For example, Spinoza says that love is the joy that is accompanied by the idea that the cause of this joy is external to oneself. This radical energy is prior to any activity of reason and is what really sets us in motion. It is not the belief that certain things exist that drives us to know them, nor is it the imagination of a fairer world that makes us fight to achieve it. Rather, it is the love of truth, the indignation at injustice, or the joy of knowing that motivates us to fight for justice or live serenely. And so we move on, as knowledge, justice, and serenity fulfill our basic desire to live more fully and perfectly.