Article May 8, 1948 Issue

RIGHT REASONING

WILLIAM ALEXANDER GIBSON MARTIN

Everyone has need to use his powers of reasoning to the best advantage. Since whatever we manufacture, use, wear, or read has had its origin in thought, any improvement or progress in these spheres must stem from thought and be carefully reasoned to a satisfying conclusion before finding expression in action.

A dictionary defines "reason" in part as the "faculty ... which is ordinarily employed in adapting thought or action to some end." It is important, then, to use this faculty so that we reach correct conclusions, correct inferences. An error in the premise is certain to result in an erroneous and therefore a misleading conclusion. We cannot watch our reasoning too carefully or check its premises too frequently. In this we are immensely helped by what Mary Baker Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 492): "For right reasoning there should be but one fact before the thought, namely, spiritual existence." Therefore, in our everyday human affairs our thoughts on a given subject must start with and be related throughout to the basic fact of spiritual existence. Now spiritual existence means existence in Spirit, therefore under the control of Spirit; and Christian Science teaches that Spirit, God, is always present, possesses all power, and includes all knowledge. Thus is revealed with striking clarity the utter futility of any reasoning in any direction, if it fails to keep in line with the basic fact of God's omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience. The moment a merely physical or material condition, or a merely human opinion, is allowed to assume a controlling influence in our thought, then our reasoning ceases to be "right."

In starting to reason we cannot do better than contemplate the first four words of the Bible (Gen, 1:1). "In the beginning God...." What an inspiring commencement for any activity—to think on God's ever-presence, power, and knowledge. His love for man, His image and likeness, and to acknowledge Him as the only creator. In the spiritual universe nothing exists except God and His eternal manifestation, perfect, harmonious, and complete. This is the basic fact upon which all constructive reasoning is built.

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