Agents of Reason primarily exists to serve two purposes:
1. Can We Talk – and Listen – and Think?
We have more than enough blogs and other sites from which we shout at each other and not enough dedicated to fostering dialogue, reflection, and especially to critical thinking.
If you think civil society in the US and globally is about where it should be, then this site will be of little interest to you.
If you think perhaps a perpetual state of near civil war with little interest in finding at least some common ground and better understanding – welcome aboard.
Our country, and much of the world, is in something of a slow-burn civil war, with tribes yelling epithets at each other as our primary means of engagement. We seem more interested in making a point or winning an argument than actually fixing anything. That is not good enough.
In the understanding that neither side of a given issue is likely to leave the country en masse and that a civil war without end seems a waste of a lifetime, we will strive to turn down the heat a bit and try to engage each other usefully when we can, with others willing to do the same. I hope this site will challenge us all to examine our beliefs and positions, challenge our sources, and revel in an orgy of critical thinking.
In short, let’s do some work to deliver ourselves into a what we should expect of each other in the 21st century.
2. Hey! Look at That!
Agents of Reason seeks to provide more than a sane space to examine political issues. This site also, and perhaps equally, examines and has some fun with popular culture, the arts, science and technology – and whatever else strikes our fancy (“our” being defined as that of the writer and the readers – share what you find interesting and we will see where we can go as a community along those paths).
Hopefully, a good dose of intellectual rigor AND humor will be in evidence on a regular basis. The world, the universe are amazing places. We have much to learn, much to think about, much to share. And we should have a good time as we explore.
What to Expect
Some of this will be original writing. Some of it will be sharing good work and interesting notes from others that we find worthy of sharing, with full credit given to sources. There is room here for conversation among us all (encouraged on these terms).
At times there will be daily posts, but for the most part, 2-3 posts per week will be the norm. Hey, you have other things to do, too, you know.
If some of what flows here makes some of us rethink on occasion and ask new questions of each other and ourselves, then this will have been a good investment of electrons.
Good luck to us all, and welcome aboard. Let’s talk.