Common sense

In philosophy and social science, common sense is the natural ability to perceive and judge situations or facts that are generally shared by all people. It refers to widely held beliefs, opinions, and awareness that most people seem to have.

People possess common sense without having specialized knowledge or conducting intricate investigations. Statements that are common sense are self-evident, and they do not need to be proven. Throughout history, appeals have been made based on common sense in political, economic, and scientific arguments.

In addition to its ordinary definition, the concept of common sense has changed and evolved in philosophy. The term goes back to the Greek philosopher Aristotle and Roman philosopher Cicero. René Descartes, Thomas Reid, and Immanuel Kant are among the key thinkers who further shaped the concept.

In modern times, common sense has become associated with politics. The term adopted this meaning after Thomas Paine's influential 1776 pamphlet "Common Sense" argued for self-rule in what would become the United States.

Background

Common sense is referred to as using good judgment and good sense. When people use common sense, they are acting in a practical manner. For instance, people do not touch a hot stovetop because they know they will get burned.

The term has several translations in other languages, but each means something slightly different and fails to encompass the full range of the English phrase. Its translations correspond with the different dimensions of common sense.

Observational common sense is associated with sensus communis, a Latin translation that refers to the classical view of common sense. In observational common sense, the five senses collectively perceive what surrounds an individual. Aristotle first discussed common sense in the fourth century BCE. Sensus communis refers to his theory that one central faculty unites the five senses and can perceive beyond them.

Judgmental common sense is using common sense to make good judgments. The German translation is gesunder Menschenverstand. People of sound understanding can render judgments based on their simple perceptions and experiences. This is the ordinary definition of common sense.

Consensual common sense refers to the basic facts and opinions upon which most people agree. This shared feeling of humanity is translated as Gemeinsinn.

Common sense is not the same thing as common knowledge. Common knowledge is information attained through cultivated learning that most people seem to know, while common sense is a natural awareness.

Common sense has three main functions. It acts as a baseline function for human interaction. Common sense is universal, tying humanity together. This allows humans to communicate with one another as equals.

The ability also provides a reference function. Common sense acts as a reference by which people compare beliefs, statements, and other information to measure their credibility. If a statement does not adhere to a person's common sense, the individual will be skeptical of that assertion.

Common sense also offers a platform for the appeal function. People will appeal to others' awareness to persuade them to feel a certain way or prove a point. An individual may say a statement must be true because it is common sense. It is then up to the other person to use common sense and consider whether the assertion is plausible.

Overview

Common sense has been a long-developing subject in philosophy. However, Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" inextricably ties the concept to democracy and politics.

The fathers of common sense are Aristotle and Cicero. Aristotle believed that humans not only had five senses, but a sixth sense that combined the other five, which came to be called the sensus communis. This sixth sense could determine the basic characteristics of things, such as shape and size. However, it could also stretch beyond what the five senses could perceive.

While Aristotle's definition of common sense pertains to the individual, Cicero's idea of common sense introduced a community component. He considered common sense to be the shared beliefs of a group of individuals, uniting them through their human nature and experience.

The seventeenth-century philosopher and mathematician René Descartes restarted the conversation about common sense with the famous opening of his book Discourse on Method. The philosopher pointed out that although people have common sense, they do not necessarily use it.

In the eighteenth century, Scottish philosopher Thomas Reid tackled the concept of common sense in reaction to another Scottish philosopher, Sir David Hume. Hume was skeptical of external reality and God's existence, and he believed that any idea could be generally accepted as true. Reid posited that humans had the ability to judge matters as "self-evident," which he defined as common sense. Reid's ideas, which he published in his 1764 book Inquiry into the Human Mind on the Principles of Common Sense, formed the basis for the Scottish school of common sense.

During the late eighteenth century, Prussian philosopher and professor Immanuel Kant took issue with the ordinary definition of common sense, gesunder Menschenverstand. He believed that defining common sense this way made it less likely for people to critically evaluate assertions or statements. Instead, Kant resurrected the term sensus communis, but he added the component of a shared feeling, or Gemeinsinn. Instead of applying to morals and truths, Kant restricted sensus communis to taste or aesthetic judgment. He believed that people used their common sense to appraise beautiful things.

In colonial America, Reid's ideas held great sway. During the American Revolution in 1776, Paine wrote the best-selling pamphlet "Common Sense." In plain, persuasive language, Paine said the thirteen colonies should seek independence from Great Britain, and it was common sense that they should rule themselves. Just six months later, the Declaration of Independence was written and included the line "We hold these truths to be self-evident."

In the modern era, common sense is more likely to be talked about concerning political issues than philosophy. Since "Common Sense," US politicians and lawmakers regularly speak about bills and reforms that they want to pass as common sense.

In 2009, Republicans in the House of Representatives counteracted President Barack Obama's health care plan, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with a bill called the Common Sense Health Care Reform and Affordability Act. During the 2012 presidential campaign, Republican challenger Mitt Romney promised to repeal Obama's health care plan and replace it with "common-sense, patient-centered reforms." In 2013, Obama himself promoted common sense proposals to address the issue of gun control.

Bibliography

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