What does "unreasonable" mean to you?

[Darth Wong]

I hear people use the word "unreasonable" a lot on web forums. But it occurs to me that not everyone means the same thing when they say it. There are many common usages of "unreasonable"; which one do you use?

1) "Unreasonable" means "illogical", which in turn means that the conclusions do not logically follow from the premises. Note that this definition is based on logic.

2) "Unreasonable" means "extremist", which means that it sits at one end of a spectrum of popular opinion. Note that this definition has nothing whatsoever to do with logic and everything to do with popularity.

3) "Unreasonable" means "really far from my own opinion". Note that this definition derives from personal hubris (the assumption that all of your opinions must be reasonable).

4) "Unreasonable" means "based on false premises". Note that this definition is not based on logic since the logic may in fact be sound, but rather, it is based on factual accuracy of underlying data.

5) "Unreasonable" is used as a generic insult, much like "stupid", and has no particular definition.

So which one(s) do you use?

[Eggnog]

I think, in my view, it's sort of based on #1 but not completely. For example, it's reasonable to expect someone to pay the monthly installments on a bill they owe in a timely manner. However, if the debtor's circumstances change (e.g., gets fired), it may not be reasonable to expect the debtor to make all of the monthly payments timely. Debt collectors rely on the former when they start going after unpaid debts; debtor advocates rely on the latter. They both follow a logical pattern, but "reasonable minds" can differ in the result. I hope what I said makes sense because I am at work and not completely awake yet.

[Spiff]

I usualy consider it to be a lack of what i may view as common sense beyond the issue in question

[Darth Wong]

I usualy consider it to be a lack of what i may view as common sense beyond the issue in question

Doesn't that beg the question of how you define common sense? Or is it a variation upon #2?

[Spiff]

well the internets define it as "sound and prudent but often unsophisticated judgment". Example when someone wont concede the possibility of being wrong despite evidence, i consider that unreasonable.

[Rolanbek]

Someone incapable of seeing reason.

a state that could not be arrived at through reasoned argument.


Although most of the time most people use unreasonable to describe those who are impervious to logical thought or deconstructive argument.

R

[MaximiIian]

I hear people use the word "unreasonable" a lot on web forums. But it occurs to me that not everyone means the same thing when they say it. There are many common usages of "unreasonable"; which one do you use?

1) "Unreasonable" means "illogical", which in turn means that the conclusions do not logically follow from the premises. Note that this definition is based on logic.

2) "Unreasonable" means "extremist", which means that it sits at one end of a spectrum of popular opinion. Note that this definition has nothing whatsoever to do with logic and everything to do with popularity.

3) "Unreasonable" means "really far from my own opinion". Note that this definition derives from personal hubris (the assumption that all of your opinions must be reasonable).

4) "Unreasonable" means "based on false premises". Note that this definition is not based on logic since the logic may in fact be sound, but rather, it is based on factual accuracy of underlying data.

5) "Unreasonable" is used as a generic insult, much like "stupid", and has no particular definition.

So which one(s) do you use?

Uh....all of the above?

[Kanaric]

I consider it both #1 and #2, they are pretty much the same exact thing. Well pretty much of all of you listed goes hand in hand, except #5, you can just simply not know the truth or have been brainwashed by someone to believe what you believe in without any logical look at it, etc.

[allthesedamnnamesaretaken]

well the term "reasonable" is often used in law. i think it means a logical conclusion that a sane adult will intuitively come to given the facts. unreasonable would be the oopposite of that i guess. perhaps you should find out what the legal definition of "reasonable" is.

[Denny Crane!]

Unreasonable in relation to the internet forums is usually used tp describe a person who won't listen to others points of views or show any willingness to accept others opinions. So 1, 2 and a little of 3. Or gets angry while posting.


Peter

[Maethius]

All of them but mostly 1 and 5.

[O'brien the Protector]

unreasonable to me means one of the 2 following things:
1)a blinding inconsideration of alternate possibilities, ( for example saying that "gays shoudnt be married juwst becuase thats the way it should be)
2) illogical, not based on reason, no common sense used ( for instance: Nader never gets the popular vote, so he should be president).
3) reason based on emotion ( "I love Mick Jagger, he must therefore be very intelegent")

in a more general sense, when the outcome dosent adhere to the input to a acceptable extent ( the definition i belive is used in court).

[Guderian]

Unreasonable to me is best defined by DW's 1 and 4 but sometimes I do use the term according to 2