Saturday, January 06, 2007

Irrational logic

In graduate school I learned about fuzzy logic, and also developed a sense of musical logic derived from Schenker and set theory. I was always pleased to apply logic in its various rational forms to all matters in my life. Today I had an epiphany, realizing that I had cut myself off from another form of reasoning that is completely irrational. Emotions and beliefs do not follow a rational course, at least not one that can be modeled with current rational systems. When I pointed out the ability of artistic discourse to encompass paradoxical viewpoints, I was getting close to this idea. Artistic logic doesn't have to be rational, just as emotional logic is not rational, nor are religious beliefs. The big epiphany for me was realizing that these forms of irrationality are not crazy or wrong, but ways that we can see into something larger than ourselves, something beyond rational thought. These larger truths may be different for each person, which can make discourse in this realm frustrating. But such discourse can also be incredibly edifying when it is treated as a learning experience rather than a contest.

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