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11 Examples of Objective Reason

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Objective reason is logical or intuitive thought that adapts a neutral perspective. This implies that you attempt to evaluate facts, unknowns and grey areas with an impartial perspective that considers all evidence. The following are illustrative examples of objective reason.

Deductive Reasoning

Deductive reasoning is top-down logic that begins with a theory and works to test the theory against information. This may involve research and experimentation. For example, a farmer who postulates that a companion planting of marigolds may deter aphids so they try it in a test plot.

Inductive Reasoning

Inductive reasoning is bottom-up logic that begins with observations and works towards a theory. This type of logic doesn't allow for guesses and requires that the theory be supported by observations. Although this type of logic is rigorous it can still be wrong. For example, it is common to confuse correlation and causation when working bottom-up.

Abductive Reasoning

Abductive reasoning is bottom-up logic that allows for guesses where there is uncertainty. For example, a farmer who has a damaged crop in a particular field who investigates to find that aphids appear to be the culprit.

Intuitive Reasoning

Intuition is thought that originates with the unconscious mind such that the thinker is unaware of how it was formed. More broadly, the term intuitive reasoning is used for informal thought processes that aren't as systematic as logic. For example, a farmer who feels it is about to rain because of a smell in the air that often occurs before rain.

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal reasoning is the use of a language to think. Natural languages such as English or Mandarin provide a rich vocabulary of concepts that can be used to model and solve problems. For example, a business person who uses the concept of competitive advantage to develop a strategy.

Visual Reasoning

Visual reasoning is the process of thinking in pictures. For example, a mover who can tell by looking at a house how large a truck is required by visualizing how furniture and boxes could be placed in the 3d space of a truck.

Facts

A fact is an item of information that can be reasonably viewed as true based on evidence, argument and review. For example, it is a fact that the planet Earth is an oblate spheroid that is approximately a sphere. According to the scientific method, theories and laws can always be challenged and are never set in stone. However, a well-accepted scientific theory or law and be viewed as fact.

First Principles

First principles are foundational rules and models that are broadly applicable. For example, the attractiveness principle is the theory that a certain percentage of the population will dislike every artwork, media item, story and design no matter how good it may be such that there is no reason to improve further if most people like your work.

Fallacies

A fallacy is logic that can be shown to be flawed. Reasoning that is disciplined and systematic can still produce flawed logic. As such, knowledge of common fallacies can improve your reasoning. Likewise, peer review and debate that exposes your reasoning to criticism can help to identify fallacies.

Cold Logic

Cold logic is reason that neglects human factors such as emotion, culture and the human experience. For example, an analysis of a disease treatment that only considers money without any consideration of the quality of life of patients.

View From Nowhere

A view from nowhere occurs when you try so hard to be objective that you miss the point. This has several variations, including false balance whereby you incorrectly portray two opposing viewpoints as being equally valid. For example, "Some people believe that the Sun is approximately 4.6 billion years old while others believe it is 3 days old."

Objective vs Subjective

An objective thought process is neutral and impartial. A subjective thought process is colored by your worldview, emotions, opinions, attitudes and position. The difference between these two states isn't always clear. At one extreme, it can be argued that humans inherently think in a subjective way such that each individual is bound to their own unique point of view. It can also be argued that humans have a great capacity of objectivity where they make an effort to adopt a neutral viewpoint.
Overview: Objective Reason
Type
Definition
Logical or intuitive thought that adapts a neutral perspective.
Related Concepts

Thinking

This is the complete list of articles we have written about thinking.
Abductive Reasoning
Abstract Thinking
Abstraction
Aesthetics
Analogy
Analysis Paralysis
Analytical Thinking
Anomie
Argument
Argument From Silence
Arrow Of Time
Assertions
Automaticity
Backward Induction
Base Rate Fallacy
Benefit Of Doubt
Big Picture
Brainstorming
Call To Action
Catch 22
Causality
Choice Architecture
Circular Reasoning
Cognition
Cognitive Abilities
Cognitive Biases
Cold Logic
Collective Intelligence
Complexity Bias
Concept
Consciousness
Constructive Criticism
Convergent Thinking
Counterfactual Thinking
Creative Tension
Creeping Normality
Critical Thinking
Culture
Curse Of Knowledge
Decision Fatigue
Decision Framing
Decision Making
Defensive Pessimism
Design Thinking
Divergent Thinking
Educated Guess
Emotional Intelligence
Epic Meaning
Essential Complexity
Excluded Middle
Failure Of Imagination
Fallacies
Fallacy Fallacy
False Analogy
False Balance
False Dichotomy
False Equivalence
First Principles
Formal Logic
Four Causes
Fuzzy Logic
Gambler's Fallacy
Generalization
Golden Hammer
Good Judgement
Grey Area
Groupthink
Heuristics
Hindsight Bias
Hope
Idealism
Ideas
If-By-Whiskey
Illogical Success
Imagination
Independent Thinking
Inductive Reasoning
Inference
Influencing
Informal Logic
Information
Information Cascade
Introspection
Intuition
Inventive Step
Learning
Lifestyle
Logic
Logical Argument
Logical Thinking
Ludic Fallacy
Magical Thinking
Meaning
Mental Experiences
Mental State
Mindset
Misuse of Statistics
Motivated Reasoning
Natural Language
Nirvana Fallacy
Norms
Not Even Wrong
Objective Reason
Objectivity
Opinion
Overthinking
Perception
Personal Values
Perspective
Positive Thinking
Practical Thinking
Pragmatism
Premise
Problem Solving
Proof By Example
Propositional Logic
Prosecutor's Fallacy
Radical Chic
Rational Thought
Realism
Reality
Reason
Reasoning
Red Herring
Reflective Thinking
Reification
Relativism
Salience
Scarcity Mindset
Scientism
Selective Attention
Serendipity
Situational Awareness
Sour Grapes
State Of Mind
Storytelling
Subjectivity
Systems Thinking
Thinking
Thought Experiment
Unknown Unknowns
Visual Thinking
Want To Believe
Whataboutism
Win-Win Thinking
Wishful Thinking
Worldview
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Thinking

An overview of thinking with examples.

Subjectivity

The definition of subjectivity with examples.

View From Nowhere

The definition of a view from nowhere with examples.

Worldview

The definition of worldview with examples.

Reason

The definition of reason with examples.

Educated Guess

The definition of educated guess with examples.

Selective Attention

The definition of selective attention with examples.

List Of Emotions

A list of common emotions.

Win-Win Thinking

The definition of win-win thinking with examples.

Thought Processes

A list of thinking approaches and types.

Nostalgia

An overview of nostalgia with examples.

Intrapersonal

The definition of intrapersonal with examples.

Introspection

The definition of introspection with examples.

Paradox

The definition of paradox with examples.

Skepticism

The definition of skepticism with examples.

Abstract Thinking

The definition of abstract thinking with examples.

Rational Choice Theory

The definition of rational choice theory with examples.

Positive Thinking

The principles of positive thinking.
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