Mafalda Santos Silva

Ms. Loges
IB TOK
Commentary on emotion
Reason is always and everywhere the slave of the passions.
David !"e
In "y opinion reason and e"otion are always related# so"eti"es not dire$tly %!t
they $an never %e torn apart. &or e'a"ple# when we try to "a(e a de$ision we want
only to !se reason %!t o!r reasoning is never apart fro" o!r e"otions. Regardless of
how rational people "ay thin( they are# their e"otions always play a very i"portant
role in their de$ision)"a(ing. Li(e David !"e stated# Reason is always and
everywhere the slave of the passions. This personifi$ation of e"otion and reason %eing
related e"phasi*es de $onne$tion %etween the".
+e $an say that reason is the slave of e"otion %e$a!se the way we a$t $annot
%e totally $ontrolled# of $o!rse we $an $ontrol the e'tent to whi$h we physi$ally
"anifest o!r e"otions %!t it gets to a point where the %ehavior is al"ost a refle'. +hen
o!r e"otions are so strong we find it very $hallenging to $ontrol it. This happens
%e$a!se e"otions $annot %e learned or e'plained. It $an %e $alled an instin$t %e$a!se we
are not ta!ght how to %e e"otive or passionate a%o!t so"ething or so"eone. That is the
total opposite of reason , reason $an %e ta!ght and learned. -eople $an only learn how
to $ontrol e"otions# not disregard the". So# reason is the slave of e"otion %e$a!se
e"otions predo"inates over the for$e of reason.
There are a signifi$ant n!"%er of people that often find ti hard to ponder
e"otion as a way of (nowing. B!t# in "y opinion# o!r e"otions play a signifi$ant role
when it $o"es to "a(ing de$isions. In fa$t# there are several st!dies that prove that
witho!t e"otions we wo!ld not %e a%le to "a(e any (ind of de$ision. O!r e"otions
help !s di"inish the "any options we have# it help !s de$ide what is "ore e"otionally
$onvenient for !s. &or e'a"ple de$iding %etween going o!t or going to the $ine"a# we
$hoose what is "ore e"otional pleasing for !s.
owever# e"otions $an %e also interpreted as an o%sta$le to (nowledge.
-owerf!l e"otions $an dist!r% the reality# for e'a"ple# parents !s!ally do not see their
(ids. flaws %e$a!se they want to %elieve that they are very $lose to perfe$tion. They
thin( the %est of the". Other e'a"ple is when yo! really need to st!dy %!t %e$a!se yo!
want to do so"ething else yo! $onvin$e yo!rself that is not that i"portant to st!dy. In
this $ase e"otions got in the way of reason.
Individ!als $annot $ontrol how "!$h of what goes into their de$isions and
a$tions is reason and how "!$h of it is e"otion. The de$isions we "a(e and the way we
a$t are a $o"%ination of e"otions and reason. /!oting David !"e Reason is always
and everywhere the slave of the passions. 0"otions always ta(e part in yo!r every)day
life of de$isions# reason helps !s "a(e de$isions %!t always with the help of e"otion.