Date: Fri, 17 Oct 1997 13:00:39 +1000 (EST)
From: Gary MacLennan <g.maclennan-AT-qut.edu.au>
Subject: Re: BHA: A couple of beginner's questions
To: bhaskar-AT-jefferson.village.Virginia.EDU


At 04:11 PM 10/11/97 +1000, you wrote:
>G'day all,
>
>I'm new to this list and I've yet to bury the beak in Bhaskar (which I
>undertake to do shortly - I like the sound of 'critical realism').  Would
>someone mind clarifying a couple of basic points for me?
>
>I'm regaled by unreflectively ontologising young Foucauldians on a daily
>basis.  What I've failed to register is an instance of 'happy positivism',
>and I'd love a couple of words on this.  With reference to the bit about
>Derrideans; what might some examples be of that which can't adequately be
>deconstructed?
>
>And lastly, should I assume, as I open my first Bhaskar, that I am reading
>one who thinks that our perceptions allow the (somehow problematic but
>somehow tenable) development of knowledge of an independent reality?  Are
>we talking coherence here, rather than correspondence?
>
>And where do I start?
>
>Yours hopefully,
>Rob.

Rob,  

I have not been able to monitor the list too closely lately, so apologies
for not responding to this post sooner.  Have your questions on
deconstruction been dealt with.  If not get back to me and I will have a
charge.

Now what do you want dealt with first:- Bhaskar's critique of positivism?

His model of truth as I understand it transcends both coherence and
correspondence models.  Though this is of course a matter of sharp debate.
 We had quite a few words about it over quite a few beers in Warwick.  I
remember more about the beer.  But if you would like us to start here I
will have a charge about that too.

As to where to begin.  well there is no consensus about that either.  I
think Collier and Outhwaite and then chapter 5 of Reclaiming Reality.
Following that I would post to Howard E. and ask him for his stuff on
Realist Theory of Science.

Having done that I would start monitoring the discussions of Dialectic & RTS.

regards

Gary




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