To: bhaskar-AT-jefferson.village.virginia.edu
From: cow-AT-aber.ac.uk (Colin Wight)
Subject: Re: BHA: Meaning, Truth, Reference, and All That
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 09:18:30 +0100


Hi Wallace (I hope you enjoy your non-lurker status),

It's some time since I read Devitt so I can't really say where he would fit
within Bhaskar's appraoch. Suffice to say that if one line of battle is
realism vs anti-realism and Devitt is arguing for realism, then there must
be some things in common (although, of course realism comes in many forms,
hence there may be many areas of disagreement). On the Devitt and Sterenly
book, I can only endorse your endorsement, it really is a brilliant book for
anyone troubled by any form of the linguistic turn (I find the
ultra-post-Wiggensteinians the biggest pain in my **t, but then I'm
surrounded by them).

On Howie's point (Hi Howie) about the argument on the impossibility of
communication. I wouldn't see it as the only argument but one amongst many.
But it is certainly very useful sometimes, and anyway sometimes realists
simply need a differing, and more sophisticated, form of argument than the,
'well try jumping out of the 5th floor window to see if gravity is only a
linguistic construct!' I know this last one works, but god don't you just
feel such a supercillious bastard when you have to resort to it.

Howard, are you arguing that in the section you cited from PON that RB
doesn't say what we take him to say or what he means to say? If so I don't
read it that way. Remember that this issue is actually point 7 in a list
intended to show the improbability of Winch's argument. Moreover, at the
beginning of point 7 RB states 'I now want to show that Winch's paradigm is
incapable of dealing with a group of problems....'

These problems are the a, b, c that he then goes onto discuss. So to me it
has always been clear that RB's argument is that if you accept W's paradigm,
you can't explain, or account for a, b, c. Maybe I've misunderstood you, if
so my apologies.

I hope everyone is well and recovered from the drinking of warm English
beer. It was really nice to meet you all.

Thanks,


------------------------------------------------------------------

Colin Wight
Department of International Politics
University of Wales, Aberystwyth

----------------------------------------------------------------



     --- from list bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---