Everything can’t be explained. A large amount of things can be explained, and when anything *is* explained, it is done using reason. There’s no other route to explanation. Even an explanation such as “Faeries did it” contains reasoning about cause and effect. It’s often bad reasoning, but I digress.

Reasoning doesn’t have to lead to agreement. Two different perfectly valid viewpoints can be reached by different routes of reasoning, especially when you take into account varying priorities among people.

What I always hope debate will lead to is everyone understanding the true depth of an issue a bit better, being more aware of the arguments on both sides, having a better understanding of why they and others think what they do, and a respect for those who disagree if they’ve argued well. I’m for understanding and cooperation, not agreement. I don’t think you can understand a point of view if it is only stated (and you don’t already have your own, possibly completely different, justification for that point of view).

Some things are too obvious or too personal or too impossible to clearly state let alone explain, but for everything else, there’s reasoning.