Introduction? Giving reasons is a social activity.

Chapter 1: Why Give Reasons?

The 'reason' discussed in this book
Types of reasons
Explain the reason
Things to look forward to

Chapter 2 Customs

How Customs Work
How Reasons Are Used in the Emergency Room
Justification of actions
When reason is used in war plans

Chapter 3 Story

The virtue of storytelling
The function of the story
Story as a rhetoric
Excuses, Apologies, and Reprimands
Life story
The Villain's Autobiography
Fighting illness

Chapter 4 Code

How does the code work?
How the formula works
Medical Code
medical malpractice
Converting stories into code
Code weaknesses

Chapter 5 Academic Discussion

The role of academic writing
Academic essays on violence
Crime Analysis Code
Management of shared resources
Code and competition
Academic essay on human evolution
Eight-colored diamond
Reconsideration of academic writing

Chapter 6 Harmony of Four Reasons

A stern look at terrorism
Audience and quality stories
To spread the word about professional reasons

Charles Tilly, the founder of 21st century sociology, tells us,
The structure of social interaction contained in the word 'why'

We live every day listening to and conveying what others say.
From everyday conversations to complex political debates, countless words and conversations exist throughout our daily lives and society.
In that sense, if we look closely at the words we share, the social aspects of various relationships are fully revealed.
"The Usefulness of Why" is a book that focuses on the "reasons" that abound in our conversations.
When you say "reasoning," do you first think of situations where you propose the cause of a specific phenomenon? Charles Tilly, the author of this book, analyzed that, beyond simply exploring causes, all conversations involve a multitude of "reasonings."
“When trying to get out of trouble, when judging each other, when facing an emergency,” people give each other reasons and create “common understanding.”
In that sense, examining how people present their reasons can help us understand the foundation of the social relationships within which conversations take place.

Although relatively unknown in our country, the author, Charles Tilly, is an authoritative sociologist who is considered the 'founder of 21st century sociology.'
I have mainly studied the causes of various political processes such as revolution, democratization, and terrorism.
It can be said that we have been studying the 'reasons' of complex social phenomena at a macro level.
As he continued his research, Tilly concluded that focusing solely on the deliberate decisions of a small number of influential people would not allow for a complete understanding of political and social phenomena.
Most social processes are made up of 'fierce conversations' between many people rather than decisions made by a few.
For Tilly, at the heart of the conversation was the 'why' people were giving and receiving.
That is why this mature sociologist, in his later years, analyzed the “reasons for why” people give reasons in conversation and explored the structure of social interaction through “The Usefulness of Why.”

If you know the reason why someone is giving a reason
Reveal the hidden truth behind society, relationships, and conversations.

So, what reasons are hidden in conversation, and how are they presented? Tilly analyzed the types of reasons presented, which vary depending on the relationship between speaker and listener, and classified them into conventions, stories, codes, and academic arguments.
Even in the same situation, the type of reason given varies depending on the relationship, and if we examine the reasons that vary depending on each type, the relationship is revealed.
For example, when a doctor explains the cause of an illness to a patient, the way he or she explains it to a fellow doctor cannot be the same.


Let's take a simple example. Imagine the possible reactions when someone knocks someone else's book off their desk.
1. I guess I'm a bit of a carefree person.
2. Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night.
3. Leaving books like that is a violation of school rules.
4. The physical reason why the book has to fall is…
Aside from the question of etiquette, Tilly explains that there is no perfectly correct reason for this.
The appropriate reason depends on the relationship.
Through the 'conventional' reason of "it just happened that way," we confirm the social relationships that are already in place, and through 'stories' that include causal relationships, we explain more precise reasons.
In formal situations, we use 'codes' that rely on specific judgment rules, and when a very specialized analysis is required, we present 'academic arguments'.
The key point of this book is that by looking at how each type of justification is presented, we can learn about the relationship between the speaker and the listener.

“The reasons people give you reflect their approach to their relationship with you.”
Ultimately, 'reasoning' is a tool that reflects, establishes, repairs, and negotiates the relationship between speaker and listener.
For us, who constantly exchange reasons as we go about our daily lives, if we carefully examine the "reasons" hidden behind the word "why," the social context of the relationships around us will certainly be interpreted in a new way.
I recommend this book to those who want to closely examine the pulse of social relationships through the frame of 'reason.'