Definition
The Convenience of Reason is a mental model and satirical observation about the human tendency toward rationalization. It suggests that being a “reasonable creature” often means having the capacity to find or fabricate a logical justification for whatever one already desires or finds convenient to do.
Why It Matters
It serves as a constant warning against our own ‘intelligence.’ Because we are good at reasoning, we are also good at tricking ourselves. Recognizing the convenience of reason is the first step toward genuine intellectual honesty and avoiding the trap of self-serving bias.
Core Concepts
- The Codfish Rationalization: Benjamin Franklin’s classic example: he was a vegetarian until he saw smaller fish inside the stomach of a cod he caught. He reasoned, “If you eat one another, I don’t see why we may not eat you.”
- Ecological Unintended Consequences: The danger of “mending the scheme of providence” through well-intentioned but narrow reasoning. Franklin’s example: the removal of blackbirds to protect corn led to a proliferation of worms that destroyed the grass and grain.
- Antic Curiosity vs. Utility: The tension between pursuing knowledge for pure joy and the demand for practical application. Rationalization is often used to justify “idle” curiosity as potentially useful.
- Post-Hoc Justification: The process of deciding on a course of action based on impulse or inclination, then retroactively constructing a logical argument to support it.