Thematic direction
"Reason and Sensibility"
Universal introduction
- Feelings are our reaction to events in the external world, our internal attitudes. Like or dislike, delight or leave indifferent, evoke fear or confidence. Reason is the ability to discover and cognize the laws of the world.
Alexander Evgenievich Gavryushkin
- There are no feelings without reason, and reason without feelings. There are so many colors, tones, shades here. “I love you” - comes out of your mouth, And the mind and feelings go wall to wall. Are they enemies, friends, antibodies? What makes them similar and what makes them different? For the mind the most important thing is the matter, And feelings only think about love... When they are united it is an explosion. An explosion of happiness that illuminates everything around, And, if apart - a painful abscess, Which, when inflamed, interferes with life. All knowledge without feelings, alas, is dead. We cannot build happiness on knowledge. What good is it if we are so intelligent? Our mind without love is worth so little!
- Our feelings whisper to us: “Give everything to love...” And the mind says: “Actually You're making a mistake, don't rush! Wait a little, at least a week..." So what's most important? Almighty, tell me... Perhaps a mind that works miracles, Or our feelings, because without them, alas, Do we not know real love? There are no feelings without reason and no reason without feelings. The color white helps you see black. A world without love is so uncomfortably empty, Our rebellious mind is alone in it.
Possible theses
- “GOOD FEELINGS” TAKE UP OVER REASON. THE VOICE OF CHARITY IS STRONGER THAN REASONABLE ARGUMENTS.
(Very often situations arise when a person acts at the behest of his heart contrary to the voice of reason. For example, this happens when we are driven by sympathy.
Sometimes, when helping someone, you have to break the rules and act contrary to your interests. The voice of mercy turns out to be stronger than the arguments of reason.)
Arguments
Many writers have addressed the theme of mercy. Thus, the story by Valentin Petrovich Rasputin “French Lessons” tells about the teacher Lydia Mikhailovna, who could not remain indifferent to the plight of her student (playing for money)….
In the story “Yushka” by Andrei Platonovich Platonov, the main character, after whom the story is named, also lives more by feelings than guided by reason (almost all the money earned at the forge goes to an orphan. And he himself...)
Possible theses
2. NEGATIVE FEELINGS SOMETIMES TAKE OVER THE CONCEPTS OF GOOD AND EVIL. THE CONSEQUENCES OF ACTIONS RESULTING FROM SUCH FEELINGS CAN BE TRAGIC.
(Sometimes it happens that a person is possessed by negative feelings: anger, resentment, envy. Seized by them, he commits actions worthy of condemnation, although, of course, with his mind he realizes that he is doing evil. The consequences of such actions can be tragic)
Arguments
Let us turn to Anna Mass’s story “The Trap,” which describes the action of the girl Valentina. The heroine dislikes her brother’s wife, Rita. This feeling is so strong that Valentina decides to set a trap for her daughter-in-law:...
The story allows you to think about the fact that you should not succumb to the power of negative feelings, as they can provoke cruel actions, which you will later have to bitterly regret.
Anna Vladimirovna Mass (born 1935)
Her characters go hiking, help their parents, go to school, read a lot, do homework, correct bad grades, fall in love, get jealous, quarrel... Most often, the story comes from the perspective of a teenage girl, going through the time of growing up and developing her personality.
Possible arguments
3. REASON TAKES TOP OVER FEELINGS. THIS CAN RESULT IN TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES.
( Should a person always listen to the voice of reason? At first glance it seems so. However, the mind does not always give the right advice. Unfortunately, sometimes it happens that actions dictated by rational arguments lead to negative consequences)
Arguments
Let us turn to A.P. Chekhov’s story “In the Pharmacy.” The author describes home teacher Svoykin, who, being seriously ill, immediately after seeing a doctor came to the pharmacy...
After reading this short story, we see that reasonable decisions do not always lead to good. Sometimes they have very tragic consequences.
Arguments
And in the story by A.P. Chekhov "About Love" we get acquainted with
a sad story of the relationship between the main characters...
… . Love cannot be guided by any
rules, but Alyokhin and Anna Luganovich
yielding to the call of reason, they abandon their
happiness, lock love in a case, and both deeply
unhappy
Albert Likhanov's story "Labyrinth".
(Yielding to family pressure, the hero sacrifices his feelings to reason: he gives up his favorite job in favor of earning money)
Possible theses
4. MIND AND FEELINGS. TRAGEDY OF CHOICE
(Feelings or reason? Sometimes situations arise in our lives in which there is no right choice. By listening to feelings, a person will sin against moral standards and doom himself to tragic consequences; by listening to reason, he will also suffer. There may not be such a path, which would lead to a successful resolution of the situation)
Arguments
- A.S. Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin” (The tragedy of the fate of Pushkin’s heroine is that the choice between reason and feeling in her situation is a choice without a choice, any decision will only lead to suffering (Episodes of Tatyana’s meeting with Onegin after marriage))
- N.V. Gogol’s story “Taras Bulba” (Andriy’s love for a beautiful Polish woman)
Possible theses
5. “LEARN TO CONTROL YOURSELF.” A PERSON MUST BE ABLE TO COPE WITH NEGATIVE FEELINGS.
(Succumb to feelings or overcome them? There is probably no definite answer. Of course, if we are driven by “good feelings”, for example, compassion, a desire to help, then we should listen to them. If these are negative, destructive feelings, we need to be able to tame them, listen to reason)
Arguments
Thus, Anna Mass’s story “The Difficult Exam” talks about a girl, Anya Gorchakova, who managed to pass a difficult test...
The writer wants to teach us a lesson: no matter how strong negative feelings are, we must be able to cope with them and move towards our goal, despite disappointments and failures.
Homework (due Tuesday)
Using the first thesis, write an essay on the topic
“Do the rational and the moral always coincide?”
There are many such books to name, but when literature shows the consequences of this victory, they are most often destructive, and in some cases laughable. The theme of reason in literature was largely inspired by the Age of Enlightenment, but not only did it not linger, but caused a sharp reaction and general disappointment in rationalism in particular and in reason as such. Let's give examples.
"Crime and Punishment“- the mind suggests that it is rational to kill the old woman, and it wins, and we see what came of it.
"Frankenstein"- the mind suggests that it is rational to try to sew an ideal person from pieces of corpses. It didn’t turn out very well either. A hundred years later, Wells will raise the same topic in " The Island of Doctor Moreau", and with approximately the same consequences.
"Catch 22" - almost all the absurdist nonsense of the entire book is created solely on the basis of the victory of formal logic over all human instincts.
In our Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy's " War and peace"- his mind tells Prince Andrei to wait a year for the wedding, although he has a clear feeling that this is not necessary. Well, here it is.
"House with mezzanine"Chekhov can be interpreted as a contrast between the mind of the cruel Lida and the feelings of the narrator and Misyus. Reason wins and destroys the relationships of the latter. In general, Chekhov, of course, mocks sensual natures a lot, but in the end he always justifies them, but he never justifies the rational ones.
The victory of rationalism is partly parodied in " Faust"Goethe, when Faust hears the sound of shovels, and thinks that they are building a dam that will bring great benefit to people - although in fact it is the lemurs who are digging his grave.
Huge volumes were devoted to the glorification of reason in the poetry of the 18th century, which massively rolled back to the glorification of feelings, and never really came back.
And so on. Rare examples of a positive assessment of the mind due to their now obvious naivety - almost all eventually flowed into the section of children's literature, although initially they were taken quite seriously.
The main crown of literature of rationalism was at one time " Robinson Crusoe". To appreciate the degree of absurdity of what is happening in the book, it is really worth re-reading it as an adult: Robinson is actively trying to turn a desert island into an English country club, sending all the animals to enclosures, doing everything according to a calendar and schedule, and even teaching the island parrot English It is not surprising that for a long time the novel served as a torch of colonial enlightenment. We, again, can see what this all led to, only not in the book, but in real life.
The plot looks just as naive now" Coral Island", in which a bunch of English schoolchildren thrown onto an island organize a typical English colony there. The reaction to this novel was the well-known " Lord of the Flies", where they end up wandering naked through the jungle, and the main rationalist, Piggy, is stoned to death.
And of course, here we cannot help but recall Ayn Rand, whose reason justifies such things as rape (“ Atlas Shrugged") and undermining a residential complex ready for occupancy (" The Fountainhead"). But, as Rand tries to convince us, he is right everywhere and all around.
These are the apologists.
This is why all this happens. Feelings are good at making mistakes, but reason is very wrong. Feelings are hermetic and consistent, they simply exist, and they are inevitable - but the mind is arrogant and resourceful, it tries to live according to the scheme, but it is physically impossible to live according to the schemes. Therefore, even when the heroes of 19th century literature, in a fit of emotion, do some monstrous crap, no matter how tragic the consequences of these actions are, we still internally feel that they are right. Well, what if they actually shook themselves off, thought it over carefully, and decided not to throw themselves under the train? No, that's just how it is. This turns out to be so not so that we act exactly this way, and not so that we listen to the voice of reason - for those who try, everything turns out to be even worse - but in order to educate in the reader a different set of feelings, perhaps more empathetic, capable of resolving the situation in some other way.
People are guided by different impulses. Sometimes they are controlled by sympathy, a warm attitude, and they forget about the voice of reason. Humanity can be divided into two halves. Some constantly analyze their behavior; they are used to thinking through every step. Such individuals are practically impossible to deceive. However, it is extremely difficult for them to arrange their personal life. Because from the moment they meet a potential soul mate, they begin to look for benefits and try to derive a formula for ideal compatibility. Therefore, noticing such a mentality, those around them move away from them.
Others are completely susceptible to the call of the senses. When falling in love, it is difficult to notice even the most obvious realities. Therefore, they are often deceived and suffer greatly from this.
The complexity of relationships between representatives of different sexes is that at different stages of relationships, men and women use too much a reasonable approach or, on the contrary, trust the choice of behavior to their hearts.
The presence of fiery feelings, of course, distinguishes humanity from the animal world, but without iron logic and some calculation it is impossible to build a cloudless future.
There are many examples of people suffering because of their feelings. They are vividly described in Russian and world literature. As an example, we can choose Leo Tolstoy’s work “Anna Karenina”. If the main character had not fallen in love recklessly, but had trusted the voice of reason, she would have remained alive, and the children would not have had to experience the death of their mother.
Both reason and feelings must be present in consciousness in approximately equal proportions, then there is a chance for absolute happiness. Therefore, in some situations one should not refuse the wise advice of older and more intelligent mentors and relatives. There is a popular wisdom: “A smart person learns from the mistakes of others, and a fool learns from his own.” If you draw the correct conclusion from this expression, you can pacify the impulses of your feelings in some cases, which can have a detrimental effect on your fate.
Although sometimes it is very difficult to make an effort on yourself. Especially if sympathy for a person overwhelms. Some feats and self-sacrifices were performed out of great love for faith, country, and one’s own duty. If the armies used only cold calculation, they would hardly raise their banners above the conquered heights. It is unknown how the Great Patriotic War would have ended if not for the love of the Russian people for their land, family and friends.
Essay option 2
Reason or feelings? Or maybe something else? Can reason be combined with feelings? Every person asks himself this question. When you are faced with two opposites, one side shouts, choose reason, the other shouts that without feelings there is nowhere. And you don’t know where to go and what to choose.
The mind is a necessary thing in life, thanks to it we can think about the future, make our plans and achieve our goals. Thanks to our mind we become more successful, but it is our feelings that make us human. Feelings are not inherent to everyone and they can be different, both positive and negative, but they are the ones that make us do unimaginable things.
Sometimes, thanks to feelings, people perform such unrealistic actions that they had to achieve this with the help of reason for years. So what should you choose? Everyone chooses for themselves; by choosing the mind, a person will follow one path and, perhaps, will be happy; by choosing feelings, a person is promised a completely different path. No one can predict in advance whether the chosen path will be good for him or not; we can only draw conclusions at the end. As for the question whether reason and feelings can cooperate with each other, I think they can. People can love each other, but understand that in order to start a family, they need money, and for this they need to work or study. In this case, reason and feelings work together.
I think the two only start to work together when you grow up. While a person is small, he has to choose between two roads; it is very difficult for a small person to find common ground between reason and feeling. Thus, a person always faces a choice, every day he has to fight with it, because sometimes the mind is able to help in a difficult situation, and sometimes the feelings pull out of a situation where the mind would be powerless.
Short essay
Many people believe that reason and feelings are two things that are completely incompatible with each other. But as for me, these are two parts of one whole. There are no feelings without reason and vice versa. We think about everything we feel, and sometimes when we think, feelings appear. These are two parts that create an idyll. If at least one of the components is missing, then all actions will be in vain.
For example, when people fall in love, they must include their mind, since it is he who can evaluate the entire situation and tell the person whether he made the right choice.
The mind helps not to make mistakes in serious situations, and feelings are sometimes able to intuitively suggest the right path, even if it seems unrealistic. Mastering two components of one whole is not as simple as it sounds. On the path of life you will have to face considerable difficulties until you learn to control and find the right side of these components. Of course, life is not perfect and sometimes you need to turn off one thing.
You can't keep balance all the time. Sometimes you need to trust your feelings and take a leap forward; this will be an opportunity to feel life in all its colors, regardless of whether the choice is the right one or not.
Essay on the topic Reason and feelings with arguments.
Final essay on literature grade 11.
Several interesting essays
- Analysis of Sholokhov's story Two-husband
The fate of a person is closely connected with the history of the time in which he lived. We find direct evidence of this in the works of many writers. The works of M.A. Sholokhov are no exception.
- Essay based on the work of Dubrovsky by Pushkin
Vladimir Dubrovsky, the main character, was born and raised in a poor noble family. He studies in St. Petersburg, has fun and hangs out with his father's money. A conflict with a neighbor and friend Troyekurov brings the old man Dubrovskog
- Essay on the manifestation of the moral principle in history, in life, in fate
Morality is a concept that explains a person’s desire to comply with any norms, orders, or standards. Man by nature is a creature dependent on the opinions and assessments of the people who surround him
- Russian hero Ivan Flyagin - essay based on the story The Enchanted Wanderer
Before I started writing the essay, I looked in the dictionary and found out the meaning of the word “hero.” I'm interested to know what is common and what is different Ivan Flyagin
Why do all children want to become adults, and the older generation, full of experience and wisdom, always remembers childhood with joy and nostalgia, and perhaps with a desire to return to their childhood years?
Feelings and reason are constantly fighting with each other. They are trying to take over our body, our actions. As we grow, we learn to make the right decisions. In our youth we are more impulsive. We follow feelings. We obey them. In adulthood, experience tells us that reason is the best solution. But a wise person must understand that only the common work of the senses and mind is capable of passing all the tests.
There are many examples of when a person’s feelings are stronger than the voice of reason. Most often we are talking about love and protecting loved ones. There are also similar examples in the literature. In Bulgakov's novel The Master and Margarita, the heroine has to make a difficult and impulsive choice. She wants to find her loved one, so she goes to meet the Master, where danger awaits her. Her mind tells her that this is a bad decision, but her feelings are stronger.
The second example is about war.
Andrei Sokolov from Sholokhov’s story “The Fate of a Man” is captured by the Germans. The mind tells you that you need to behave calmly and restrainedly, to do whatever you are told. Just to save life. But the main character is not a coward. He is faithful to his Fatherland. Therefore, the soldier is guided by feelings. He confidently confronts his enemies and escapes from captivity.
I believe that there are situations when it is worth leaving the mind aside. After all, saving loved ones or a matter of honor is worth going ahead and achieving your goal.
Updated: 2017-04-28
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1. “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”:
Reason has given way to feeling, and Igor, instead of making a reasonable decision to save the army and his life, after all the omens, decides to die, but not to disgrace his honor.
2. Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin “Minor”:
Reason is completely absent in the actions of Prostakova and Skotinin; they do not even understand the need to take care of their serfs, since all the well-being of these “masters of life” lies in them. Mitrofan demonstrates complete control over his feelings: when his mother is needed, he sucks up, says that he loves her, and as soon as his mother has lost all power, he announces:
Get off it, mother!
He has no sense of responsibility, love, devotion.
3. Alexander Sergeevich Griboedov “Woe from Wit”:
The main character, Chatsky, at first glance, is a model of reason. He is educated, understands his place well, determines the political situation, and is literate in matters of law in general and serfdom in particular. However, his mind refuses him in everyday situations; he does not know how to behave in a relationship with Sophia when she says that he is not the hero of her novel. In his relationship with Molchalin, with Famusov and the entire secular society, he is bold and daring and, in the end, ends up with nothing. A feeling of frustration and loneliness squeezes his chest:
My soul here is somehow compressed by grief.
But he is not used to obeying feelings and does not take the discord with society seriously, but in vain.
4. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin “Eugene Onegin”:
From his youth, Onegin was accustomed to subordinating his feelings to reason: “the science of tender passion” is already proof of this. Having met Tatyana, he “didn’t give in to the sweet habit,” he didn’t take this feeling seriously, deciding that he could cope with the feeling, as always, when he knew how to “flash with an obedient tear.” Reverse side Tatyana. In her youth, she obeyed only her feelings. Onegin read her a sermon in which he recommended: “learn to control yourself.” The girl took these words into account and began self-development. By the time of the next meeting with Onegin, she already masterfully controls her feelings, and Evgeny could not see a single gram of emotion on her face. But happiness is no longer possible...
5. Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov “Hero of Our Time”:
The main character, Pechorin, is a man consisting of reason and feelings. When he is alone with nature, with a diary or with a person with whom he does not have to pretend, it is a naked nerve, an emotion. A striking example is in the episode when he drove his horse along the road in pursuit of Vera. He cries with grief. This state lasts for a moment. But a moment passes, and another Pechorin rises above the “crying child” sobbing on the grass and soberly and sternly assesses his behavior. The triumph of reason does not give happiness to this person.
