Within Reason

March 29, 1999
Given what we know of how our brains work, what does "reason" mean, and how can it guide our actions? In this broad and very accessible study, neurologist Calne (who teaches at the University of British Columbia) explores the role and limits of reason in linguistics, ethics, economics, religion, the arts and other fields. Calne gathers discoveries and arguments from philosophy, archeology, literature and primatology, while keeping his focus on explaining what "reason" or "rationality" has to do with how brains actually work. He begins with neurobiology and language (taking some examples from Oliver Sacks), then moves on to social behavior. A chapter on ethics scrutinizes the apparent reasonableness of psychopaths, while an exploration of religion suggests that "Religious rituals are a rational response to the challenge of making enhanced mental states available to as many people as possible." Calne decides that "reason is a biological product," evolved to accomplish some tasks and not others, and incapable on its own of deciding which tasks to take on. A final, speculative chapter on "Mind" gives biological content to some philosophical positions about the nature and uses of pleasure, motive and narrative. While Calne's conclusions aren't startling, his panoply of examples is edifying, as are the elegant bridges he builds among them.