Reason as the Form of Cognition
In my view, Reason is rooted in the very form of cognition. This form is the process by which the Self and the Other identify the discrepancy between their respective abstractions and concretions, mediated by “abstractions that denote abstractions.” This “discrepancy” arises when nearly identical abstractions are made manifest through a concrete Symbol; in essence, it primarily refers to the concretion held by each individual—namely, the Body.
The Linguistic Analogy: Syntax and Semantics
To use a linguistic analogy: a polysemic word (the concrete Symbol) has its vast range of meanings (the Abstractions) delimited by the static structure of a sentence (the Form of Cognition). In this framework, Reason corresponds to the sentence structure—the form of cognition—while Emotion corresponds to the polysemic word. Thus, Emotion can be delimited and defined by Reason.
The Mutual Influence of Reason and Emotion
However, if we consider Emotion to be encapsulated within the “word,” it remains an unstable entity on its own, encompassing both existence and non-existence. The intentionality of Emotion gravitates toward either existence or non-existence; this direction is determined by the sentence structure (the Form of Reason). Conversely, the Form of Reason is also influenced by the word (Emotion).
Even when the Form of Reason is affected by Emotion, the necessity of mediation through a Symbol remains unchanged. If Emotion exerts an influence, it likely manifests in how we determine what a particular Symbol denotes. This summarizes my perspective on the interplay between Emotion and Reason.
