From: "Nick Hostettler" <nh8-AT-soas.ac.uk> Date: Wed, 16 Feb 2000 09:57:27 GMT Subject: BHA: Help on relativism. Dear Ruth, I have a couple of other suggestions for arguments about relativism. Hilary Putnam's work, especially his article 'Naturalising epistemology' and his book "Renewing Philosophy" examines in close detail the arguments about differential criteria of judgement. He shows that none of them stand up because implicit and explicit criteria are in constant, productive, tension. Associated with sceptical relativism, the idea that judgement between horizons is not possible, is the idea that all horizons of interpretation are closed, self contained and internally self- consistent. Collingwood's "Essay on Metaphysics" is a very clear statement of this kind of position. He argues that all arguments have presuppositions. Any argument about presuppositions must entail those very presuppositions, so will always confirm one's own and falsify others. This argument is the same as the one about the limitations of transcendental deduction and analytical logic. Sceptical relativism is prepared to recognise that there are different horizons, as does Collingwood, but it unable to deal with change. It is to Putnam's credit that he invokes change and the processuality of intellectual life. Bhaskar's work in "Plato" and "Dialectic" takes up Putnams theme and evokes an ensemble of critiques of such 'presuppositions (immanent, ommisive and explanatory) to show that conceptual horizons are not consituted as internally consistent and self contained at all. They are usually riven by inconsistencies which are generated by the absence of necessary categories. His reconceptualisation of the nature of such horizons shows why the arguments for sceptical relativism get into such tangles. Nick. --------------------------------- Nick Hostettler, Department of Political Studies, SOAS (University of London), Thornaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG --------------------------------- --- from list bhaskar-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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