Elevating Existence: How Reason Shapes an Excellent Life

Elevating Existence: How Reason Shapes an Excellent Life

From Live Well and Flourish by Craig Van Slyke

May 5, 2025 · 7 min · Season 2 · Episode 128

About this episode

Craig Van Slyke discusses the interplay between logic and reason in living an excellent life, emphasizing the importance of virtues and connections.

At the heart of today's conversation is a simple but powerful idea: logic alone isn't enough to live a truly excellent life. The most important decisions we face require more than just logical thinking—they need to be guided by our virtues, our sense of purpose, and our connections with others. When we combine these elements, we make choices that align with what matters most to us, leading to a life of real meaning and fulfillment. Craig draws on Aristotle's wisdom here—he understood that living well means living in harmony with our nature and using reason as our guide. But he knew that logic by itself falls short. As we explore how logic and reason work together, think about how these ideas might light the path toward your own flourishing life. In this episode, Craig talks about the difference between logic and reason, and why it matters for living well. While logical thinking is certainly important, it's just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to navigating our complex lives. Making good decisions—decisions that lead to a life of excellence—requires us to consider more than just cold facts. We need to bring in moral wisdom and emotional understanding, areas where pure logic…

People in this episode

Host: Craig Van Slyke

Topics covered

  • logic
  • reason
  • virtue
  • purpose
  • connection
  • eudaimonia
  • decision making

Keywords

  • logic
  • reason
  • virtue
  • purpose
  • connection
  • Aristotle
  • decision making
  • eudaimonia
  • flourishing life

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