Stage Reason

A mode of reasoning where the reasoner sets the standards of what counts as reasonable in advance, in a way that guarantees their own position will appear reasonable and any alternative will appear unreasonable. Stage reason is common in debates about science and religion: the skeptic defines “reason” as “scientific materialism” and then declares all non‑materialist beliefs unreasonable. The trick is that the definition of reason is chosen to exclude competing views before the discussion begins. Stage reason is not about finding truth but about winning a rhetorical game.

Example: “He defined ‘reasonable belief’ as ‘belief supported by peer‑reviewed studies,’ then dismissed her spiritual experience as unreasonable—stage reason, using a rigged definition to pre‑judge the outcome.”

Stage Reason by Dumu The Void April 3, 2026