An Experiencing Machine

A human being is, essentially, an experiencing machine that rationalises those experiences post hoc or after the event. Experience comes through the senses and the emotions as well as the mind. We apprehend in ways other than the purely rational. If you accept this it diminishes slightly the status of reason (and science). This interesting contrast in belief highlighted by the blogger, Nige, recently in his comparison of the British character with the French or European thus: "(In the British character) A preference for pragmatic empiricism and inductive reasoning, and a deep distrust of Big Ideas." Art, in all forms, of course, is apprehended by the whole person (including reason) and that is why it is so much more satisfying than Science.