Reason is not simply our preference (though it would be optimal). . . It is the force which bonds & grounds sensibility to intellect; the Greek philosophical term Logos - meaning reason &/or account. Here is a consolidation of several most sensible quotes from reasonably deep minds:
Reason aims to unite identity & being. [Hegel]
Sense is irrelevant if no solution is possible. [Fine, K]
Only correct reasoning is always beneficial. [Leibniz]
Reasoning concerns knowledge, action, & hopes. [Kant]
Reason forces us to agree to a truth. [Aquinas]
Reason is based on the desire for truth. [Roochnik]
A natural space of reasons enables freedom. [McDonnell]