Exploring How We Know What We Know in Simple Terms
When it comes to understanding the world and figuring out what’s true, people have always relied on two main tools: reasoning and revelation. These approaches can seem complicated, but in reality, they’re pretty straightforward. Let’s break down what each one means, how they’re different, and why both play a big role in shaping our beliefs.
What is Reasoning?
Reasoning is using your mind to think things through, step by step. It’s about looking at facts, evidence, and experience to draw conclusions. Imagine you’re trying to figure out why your toast burned this morning. You remember you set the toaster too high and got distracted. By connecting what you know and what you observe, you reason out the cause.
In a bigger sense, reasoning is the foundation of science, engineering, and even everyday problem-solving. Scientists use reasoning when they develop hypotheses, run experiments, and analyze results. Lawyers use reasoning to build arguments. Parents use reasoning when they decide what’s best for their kids. Any time you weigh pros and cons, notice patterns, or try to solve a puzzle, that’s reasoning in action.
Reasoning comes in different forms:
- Deductive reasoning: Starting from a general rule and applying it to a specific case. Example: All dogs bark. Fido is a dog. So, Fido barks.
- Inductive reasoning: Looking at examples and making a general rule. Example: Every swan I’ve seen is white, so maybe all swans are white (until you find a black swan!).
- Abductive reasoning: Making an educated guess based on the best available explanation. Example: The ground is wet, so it probably rained.
What is Revelation?
Revelation is about “receiving” information in a way that doesn’t come from logical thinking or evidence you can measure. Instead, it’s knowledge or understanding believed to be given from a higher source—like God, a religious text, or a mystical experience.
You might have heard someone say, “I just had a revelation,” meaning something suddenly became clear to them. But when people talk about revelation in philosophy or religion, they usually mean knowledge that comes directly from outside the normal human process of discovery.
For example, many religious traditions have sacred texts (like the Bible, the Quran, or the Bhagavad Gita) that followers believe were revealed to people by a divine being. The idea is that, left to our own devices, humans couldn’t figure out the “big truths” of life—like where we come from, why we’re here, or what happens after death—unless those truths were revealed to us.
How Are Reasoning and Revelation Different?
At their core, reasoning and revelation are two different ways of knowing things.
- Reasoning relies on what you can see, test, or figure out using your mind. It’s about piecing together clues and coming to a logical conclusion. It’s open to being checked, questioned, and changed if better evidence comes along.
- Revelation is about accepting knowledge that is given, not discovered. It’s often about faith and trust in the source of the information, rather than proof you can verify in a lab or a courtroom. Revelation isn’t about argument or evidence, but about belief.
Do Reasoning and Revelation Ever Overlap?
Sometimes, yes. Many people use both reasoning and revelation as part of their worldview. For example, someone might use reasoning to decide what to eat for dinner, but rely on revelation for answers to deeper questions about life’s meaning or moral choices.
In fact, much of history’s biggest debates—between scientists and religious leaders, for example—have been about where to draw the line between these two ways of knowing. Some people believe that reasoning and revelation can support each other, while others think they’re completely separate.
Why Does This Matter?
Understanding the difference between reasoning and revelation helps us make sense of how people come to believe what they believe. It sheds light on why people sometimes disagree so strongly about big questions.
- In science and medicine: We mostly rely on reasoning, because we want results that anyone can test or repeat.
- In religion and spirituality: Revelation plays a bigger role, because these areas often deal with questions that can’t be answered by experiment—like the existence of God, or the meaning of life.
- In everyday life: We use a mix. We reason out how to fix a leaky faucet, but we might rely on gut feelings or spiritual insights when making big life decisions.
Famous Examples
- Isaac Newton: Used reasoning to develop the laws of physics, but also wrote a great deal about religious revelation.
- Socrates: Encouraged others to use reasoning and ask questions, but also talked about having a “divine sign” that guided him.
- Religious Prophets: Figures like Moses or Apostle Paul are believed to have received revelations that shaped major world religions.
Can We Trust One More Than the Other?
That depends on what you’re looking for. If you want to build a bridge, cure a disease, or launch a rocket, reasoning is the way to go—it’s practical, testable, and open to improvement. If you’re searching for meaning, purpose, or guidance on questions beyond the physical world, revelation might feel more important.
But even then, many people use both. Someone might trust science for medical advice, but look to revelation for guidance about how to live, love, or forgive.
Conclusion: The Balance of Knowing
In the end, reasoning and revelation are two sides of the same coin. They reflect different ways humans seek to understand the world. Knowing when to use each one—and how to respect others who might lean more on one than the other—can help us have better conversations and a deeper appreciation for the diversity of human experience.
When you hear debates about science vs. religion, keep in mind that these are often really debates about reasoning vs. revelation. Both have shaped human history, and both continue to shape our lives today.
So, next time you’re faced with a big question, ask yourself: Am I using reasoning, revelation, or maybe a bit of both? And remember, that’s what makes us human—the ability to search for truth in more than one way.
Minister A Francine Green
August 2025
afrancinegreen.com 