Shifting perspectives, a more modest Enlightenment

Upon playing this video back I feel compelled to admit that a fair amount of what I say is more or less regurgitated from a book called "Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature" by Richard Rorty. If you've read some philosophy and are interested in this line of thinking, I strongly suggest reading it.

Also, follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/ContraPoints

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• philosophy
• enlightenment
• science
• postmodernism
• rorty
• pragmatism
• scientism

[twerj]

I'm curious, do you think that more basic truths than science (like logical or mathematical truths) are capital "T" True? I can understand giving up capital "B" Beauty and capital "G" Good, and I can also sympathize with your your point that science doesn't give us Truth, but something that gives us a practical approximation, but if one were to start thinking that logical axioms are just things that are "good enough to work" and not "True" things get weird.

[ContraPoints]

@twerj Logical/analytic/tautological truths don't tell us anything about the world, they only describe the syntax of our own reasoning.

[twerj]

@ContraPoints Doesn't logic do a good job telling things about the real world? Don't Mathematics (which are kinda grounded in logic) do a good job of predicting things about the real world. Don't statistics (which are kinda grounded in math) do a good job of describing distributions we observe in the world. I realize that the could just be helpful assumptions, but why do they work so well? You probably have good answers to this, but I can't anticipate them because I suffer from low intelligence.

[ContraPoints]

@twerj You don't suffer from low intelligence.

I would say that statistics and mathematics only tell us about the world when the variables they use represent "real things." "Mean = total value/sample size" is not itself a description of the world. Only when it's filled in with actual values from empirical data does it describe anything.

[Censeo]

The earth revolving around the sun is a good example. The system is putting the centre of the system where the massive gravity lies. Why? Because it is pragmatic. The visual is more pleasing and the calculations are way easier and simpler. But is simplicity Truth with a capital T?

[ContraPoints]

@Censeo "is simplicity Truth with a capital T?" No, it isn't. But it's good enough.

[ContraPoints]

@Rationalific You're attacking a straw man here. I'm not saying that truth is relative in the sense that "anything goes." I don't think any serious thinker is saying that. I'm saying that truth is limited to a perspective, to a language, to a theoretical framework. Some perspectives work better than others, but there is no "God's eye view." There may be room for a plurality of approaches to certain parts of the world (e.g. the mind can be described as mental or physical).

[ContraPoints]

@blurglide I don't think I said any differently in this video.

[treegraph]

Your make an argument the absolutist view of scientific theory, that is agains how science is viewed by non-scientists. 

[raw5069]

you are building a high and mighty wall,will you be installing any gates ?

[The3nlightened0ne]

@rtaubman a refining of everyday thinking =D

[tangldmojo]

Do a video about your parents. I realize that it took you dozens of videos to finally come out with your first name (or a truncation of it), but it would be informative for those of us watching your progression as told by you with rapt curiosity. Just a suggestion, of course; do what you want.

[JBC814]

Better to stay with the logic of Voltaire and Thomas Paine. Keep life simple with a discussion of life's endeavors, and "to be or not to be", before our species disappears into the cosmic dust. I can only ask one question when philosophy is the subject: Why do we exist?

[gimbutas1]

What exactly are you trying to figure out ? You make more sense when playing the piano. Why don't you switch to parables, jokes and pantomime like You Tube's Sister Unity ?

[gimbutas1]

Shut up and sing ! I suggest Cole Porter tunes.

[sexyhowl]

There is no absolute truth and sounds like you are having a bit of a hard time accepting your shifting perspectives......change is good my friend, change for the better

[otakurocklee]

@ContraPoints So even the statement "Truth is limited to a perspective." is only true limited to a perspective? I don't see how you can avoid self refutation...

[daupike]

Friend -- stay!! you provokes on me some kind of emotional response ,.in some metaphysical realm!!