“epistemology” - gayleturner.netgayleturner.net/rorty_keynote.pdf · 2008-11-20 · klastv.com...

“Epistemology”The word that means “the theory of knowledge”; this is the theoretical area that explores how we know what we know. This should be an important area for school people to explore...

Some epistemological questions:

Where does knowledge come from?What is the place of experience in generating knowledge?What is the place of reason in generating knowledge?What is the relationship between knowledge and certainty?How does knowledge change when we conceptualize the world differently?What is the nature of truth?What is the nature of meaning?What is the nature of experience?

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© Copyright 2007-2008 Gayle M. Turner

“Metaphysics”Originally, this was the title for all the books that came after the Physics in the philosopher Aristotle’s writing (384BC-322BC.)

Today: Metaphysics is any enquiry that raises questions about reality that lie beyond or behind those capable of being tackled by the methods of science.

An old argument: Are there any such questions? (This questions refers to the perspective of the philosopher David Hume 1711-76, who believed there were not any such questions.)

Does metaphysics provide the answer to all questions not answerable by the basic sciences? Or does it attempt to answer the questions left over by them?


Thomas KuhnAuthor of The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1922-1996) Paradigm shifts.

The story we tell about things or ourselves changes.

The heliocentric v. geocentric universe.

Cover of a biography of Thomas Kuhn.


Richard Rorty (1931- )

From Wikipedia:

Reception and criticism“Because of the clarity and humor of his writing style, and his ability to undermine cherished assumptions, Rorty is one of the most widely-read contemporary philosophers. His political and moral philosophies have been under almost constant attack both from some on the Right, who call them relativist and irresponsible, and some on the Left, who believe them to be insufficient frameworks for social justice. The most common criticism is that Rorty's work is self-refuting (see Nagel and Nozick for instance), although such criticisms often play directly into Rorty's theories about arguing within versus arguing outside of a given 'language-game'.”


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-wing_politics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-wing_politics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_politics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left-wing_politics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nagel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nagel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Nozick

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Nozick

Find the following definitions in “Solidarity as Objectivity:”

1. What is a “realist”?2. What is a “pragmatist”? 3. What is a “relativist”?4. What is a “God’s eye view”?

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Key questions to consider from the readings:

1. What is truth as solidarity?2. Why does the scientist replace the priest?3. How do we cease to see the scientist as a priest, but instead as a moral exemplar?

• The answer to this question has bearing on how we think of the creators of tests and analyzers of school performance.

4. Why does he argue that the only virtue of scientists is moral virtue, not the virtue of rationality?

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Common notions of the nature of truth

Two descriptions using metaphors:

The building

The boat


The Building Metaphor

Descartes (1596-1650) (1984, vol. 2, p. 366) uses this metaphor:

“Throughout my writings I have made it clear that my method imitates that of the architect. When an architect wants to build a house which is stable on ground where there is a sandy topsoil over underlying rock, or clay, or some other firm base, he begins by digging out a set of trenches from which he removes the sand, and anything resting on or mixed in with the sand, so that he can lay his foundations on firm soil. In the same way, I began by taking everything that was doubtful and throwing it out, like sand; and then, when I noticed that it is impossible to doubt that a doubting or thinking substance exists, I took this as the bedrock on which I could lay the foundations of my philosophy.”

Descartes, R. 1984. Philosophical Writings of Descartes (J. Cottingham & R. Stoothof & D. Murdoch, Trans.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.


The Boat Metaphor

In the 1930s, Otto Neurath (1882-1945) (1959, p. 201) wrote:

“No tabula rasa exists. We are like sailors who must rebuild their ship on the open sea, never able to dismantle it in dry-dock and to reconstruct it there out of the best materials. Only the metaphysical elements can be allowed to vanish without trace. Vague linguist conglomerations always remain in one way or another as components of the ship.”

Quine (1908-2000) (1960, pp. 3-4) popularized the metaphor:

"Neurath has likened science to a boat which, if we are to rebuild it, we must rebuild plank by plank while staying afloat in it. The philosopher and the scientist are in the same boat. Our boat stays afloat because at each alteration we keep the bulk of it intact as a going concern."

Neurath, O. 1959. "Protocol Sentences." In Logical Positivism, edited by A. J. Ayer, pp. 199-208. Glencoe, IL: The Free Press.

Quine, W. V. O. 1960. Word and Object. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.


What, according to Rorty, is the difference between:

• Solidarity and Objectivity?

• (And, why does it matter to us?)

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Solidarity Objectivity• Stories about people

• Stories about non-human reality


Solidarity Objectivity • Pragmatists• The struggle to shift from

objectivity to solidarity (democracy)

• Realists• The search for absolute, non-human truth


• “Human nature” is, in part, socially constructed over time

• Solidarity is sought regarding ahistorical human nature

Solidarity Objectivity



• “t”ruth aswhat it is good for us to believe (somebody may come up with a better idea)

• “T”ruth as correspondence to reality


Solidarity Objectivity• Easy agreement: We call this

“knowledge”• Think of a unanimous jury

decision

• Forced agreement is allowed• Think “inquisition”, or Galileo under house arrest


• When it is difficult to agree: We call this opinion

• Think, perhaps, of a hung jury

• “It’s just an opinion. Who cares?”• Think “Nathan Price in the Congo.”



Solidarity ObjectivityStories about people Stories about non-human

reality

Pragmatist: The struggle to shift from objectivity to solidarity (democracy)

Realists: The search for absolute, non-human truth

“Human nature” is, in part, socially constructed over time

Absolute knowledge regarding ahistorical human nature

“t”ruth: what it is good for us to believe (somebody may come up with a better idea)

“T”ruth as correspondence to reality

Easy agreement: We call this knowledge

Forced agreement is allowed

Difficult to agree: We call this opinion

If it’s opinion, perhaps disregard it

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Key questions to consider from the readings:

1. What is truth as solidarity?2. Why does the scientist replace the priest? • How do we cease to see the scientist as a priest, but instead as a moral exemplar?

• The answers to this question have bearing on how we think of the creators of tests and the analyzers of school performance.

• Why does he argue that the only virtue of scientists is moral virtue, not the virtue of rationality?


Use what you’ve learned in FDN 5840:What might it look like to achieve solidarity around a difficult issue at your school?

• The AP Language Arts class and the drama class have teamed up to produce the play “The Laramie Project.”• You’ve been busy, but generally felt this was a good idea. Then the ads for the production appear, and you find yourself in the middle of a media circus.• What do you do?• Even more importantly, how do you decide what to do?


03/07/2006 03:50 PMKLASTV.com - Church Group Protests 'The Laramie Project'

Page 1 of 2http://www.klas-tv.com/global/story.asp?s=1847126&ClientType=Printable

Leland Smith, student actor in the play

<<Back

Adrian Arambulo, ReporterChurch Group Protests 'The Laramie Project'

(May 6) -- Students and staff at Las Vegas Academy are responding toflyers being distributed by a church group that says everyone associatedwith the school will "go to hell."

The Kansas-based church is upset because they say the school isperforming a play that promotes homosexuality. Eyewitness News spoketo an actor in the play and the school's principal.

"It's basically about hatred and not to hate," said Leland Smith. Leland isa student and actor in the Las Vegas Academy's production of The

Laramie Project.

Leland Smith: "I feel bad for them. That's their ignorance, not reallyknowing about our school."

Leland feels bad for members of the Westboro Baptist Church -- a groupthat's passing out flyers protesting the performance of the play. The flyersays everyone associated with Las Vegas Academy and the LaramieProject will eventually join Matt Shepard in hell. The play is based onShepard -- a gay man who was beaten to death five years ago inLaramie, Wyoming.

The flyer from Westboro Baptist Church berates and insults the studentsand staff of Las Vegas Academy: "God hates Las Vegas Academy, theschool board and all responsible for leading the kids to lives of sin,shame, and death in inculcating them that it's okay to be gay!"

The church-goers plan on staging a protest at the school nextWednesday. They say the school is performing a play that promoteshomosexuality propoganda. The letter says the school is wrong forperforming a play about Matthew Shepard.

Leaving this teen questioning -- Ryan Boylan: "How could they be soignorant?"

Patrick Boylan: "First thing I thought was God, this is religious terrorism."

Patrick Boylan is Ryan's father, but he is also a member of the Nevada Board of Education: "Sure, they havea right to do what they want on public streets and all that stuff. It just doesn't seem right to scare thechildren."

Voice of Shirley Phelps-Roper: "Those children don't have any fear of God. What's to be imitated. They thinkthey're infallible and invincible."

Stephen Clark, Las Vegas Academy: "One thing I'm communicating across to them is, 'I don't want to validatewhat they're doing.'"

Stephen Clark is the school's principal and he's been fielding calls from parents and counseling students."Some of the values we hold dear -- integrity, compassion, respect," he said.

Clark is asking students and parents to stick to what they're doing and ignore the protestors when they arrivenext Wednesday.

Principal Stephen Clark: "Of course I'll have all my administrative staff, my support staff, we'll have teachers

“epistemology” - gayleturner.netgayleturner.net/rorty_keynote.pdf · 2008-11-20 · klastv.com...

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