Full Idea
Those whom we are so fond of referring to as the 'lower animals' reason very little. Now I beg you to observe that those beings very rarely commit a mistake, while we ---- !
Gist of Idea
We may think animals reason very little, but they hardly ever make mistakes!
Source
Charles Sanders Peirce (Reasoning and the Logic of Things [1898], I)
Book Reference
Peirce,Charles Sanders: 'Reasoning and the Logic of Things', ed/tr. Ketner,K.L. [Harvard 1992], p.110
A Reaction
We might take this as pessimism about reason, but I would take it as inviting a much broader view of rationality. I think nearly all animal behaviour is highly rational. Are animals 'sensible' in what they do? Their rationality is unadventurous.