A few weeks ago, I invited people to contribute to a new project called Sense and Reason. Rather than create a project and then invite people to view it, I’ve asked anyone who cares to, to respond and even contribute to the project as it develops.
This configuration of the project addresses various issues but here I focus on two; the words in the title and empathy:
Now that AI systems can process information and solve certain problems more efficiently than humans (consider how AI models navigate molecular protein structures and generate novel potential combinations in remarkably short time-frames), does this shift allow human beings – particularly those who have idealised logic over feeling – to reconnect with their sensibilities? Evidence of our historical prioritisation of reason over sensation is embedded in the English language itself. The word ‘sensible’ no longer implies a response via all the senses to the world (affect is used instead), but has come to mean being logical and level-headed. Broadly speaking, during the Platonic era and again in the Enlightenment, Western society elevated thinking above bodily experience – the two were almost entirely severed, famously captured in Descartes’ “I am thinking, therefore I am.” (See my blogs on Descartes here – where I discuss how his famous meme varies in translation, and how ‘thinking’ rather then ‘think’ is probably more accurate.) There have been moments of resistance to that trend, such as with Romanticism. But it’s a safe generalisation to suggest that feeling was devalued while logic was cherished. This prioritisation came with steep social costs. Thinking was deemed primarily a masculine pursuit, accessible mainly to wealthy white men. Women, children, those without wealth or privilege, people born with higher levels of melanin than Enlightenment Man, and those outside accepted religions were systematically dismissed. Intuition and emotion, considered “feminine traits,” were regarded as less valuable than supposed masculine reason. These biases persist today despite evident societal shifts. However, as machines increasingly handle logical processing and routine analytical tasks, this potentially frees humans to reconnect with the “softer,” but equally vital aspects of our nature.
Some studies indicate decreases in attention span and analytical thinking skills over recent decades, though other research insists this is alarmist nonsense (Fleming, 2025). Nevertheless, as reported in the FT (Burn-Murdoch, 2025) – but beware of the clickbait headline – The Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (Pohjola, 2024) has documented declining literacy and increasing inequality in many European countries, reinforcing concerns about cognitive shifts and the need for improved lifelong learning opportunities. While fears around “cognitive offloading” to technology are valid – when we don’t exercise our capacity for thought or perform tasks that strengthen neural connections, skills begin to atrophy – this phenomenon predates widespread AI adoption. Factors such as social media, constant notifications interrupting deep focus, and increasingly passive modes of interaction may contribute to the shift (Burn-Murdoch, 2025).
Although the Enlightenment tradition taught us to value reason above feelings, contemporary neuroscience suggests that emotional processing and rational thinking are deeply interconnected. Metzinger (2009) and others explore how emotions play a crucial role in decision-making and logical reasoning. Empathy, often framed as distinct from cognition, is integrally part of our cognitive intelligence. Therefore, if our capacity for focused thinking diminishes, our emotional intelligence may follow, if it has not already done so. If this is the case, the erosion of cognitive skills could have ramifications not just for problem-solving but for social and emotional engagement as well.
The Sense and Reason project has provoked various responses (I encouraged people to share how they felt when receiving the invitation, including feelings of frustration or even rage: all is valid). The project intentionally requires active engagement rather than passive consumption. It is unashamedly demanding and asks participants to work with complexity. At times, the text deliberately resists simplification into meme-friendly content, while at other moments it invites exactly that.
I’ve been quite busy recently so put the project aside for a moment, but I’ve just started a course with Six Minutes Past Nine, where I’ll learn about interactive digital platforms. While I’ve used traditional websites for digital artworks in the past, I’m excited to explore platforms like New Art City with their interactive potential. I plan to work with the responses I’ve received from participants. Some of these responses are currently viewable online here, but I look forward to incorporating them into a 3D space during my course.
I’m still accepting responses, so please check my invitation to play with Sense and Reason. If it makes you cross, let me know – that’s fine. Or make something in response. Truly, all responses are welcome. You can submit responses here anonymously or with attribution.
Edit: With reference to all this, I cannot wait for the following book to be published – The Revenge of Reason by Peter Wolfendale (It’s such a great title!)
Edited and checked for accuracy using a large language model. Images below show my own and other’s contributions. The third image was part of Sarah Deane’s contribution.
Refs:
Burn-Murdoch, J. (2025) ‘Have humans passed peak brain power?’, Financial Times, 14 March. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/a8016c64-63b7-458b-a371-e0e1c54a13fc (Accessed: 14 March 2025).
Gerlich, M. (2025) AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/1/6 (Accessed: 10 January 2025).
Metzinger, T. (2009) The ego tunnel: the science of the mind and the myth of the self. New York: Basic Books.
Pohjola, S. (2024) New PIAAC results show declining literacy and increasing inequality in many European countries – Better adult learning is necessary, European Association for the Education of Adults. Available at: https://eaea.org/2024/12/11/new-piaac-results-show-declining-literacy-and-increasing-inequality-in-many-european-countries-better-adult-learning-is-necessary/ (Accessed: 14 March 2025).