RE: MD Solidarity truth

From: Erin N. (enoonan@kent.edu)
Date: Tue Jan 14 2003 - 04:43:59 GMT

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    >===== Original Message From moq_discuss@moq.org =====
    >Erin,
    >
    >Matt said:
    >He's [Rorty] saying that what counts as objectivity should be thought of as
    >a much agreed upon truth, thus setting up a continuum between opinion and
    >knowledge.
    >
    >Erin said:
    >How does he tie in expertise of a subject?
    >
    >Matt:
    >I haven't read Rorty specifically on this, but I think his response would
    >go like this: Standards of expertise in a subject would be decided by the
    >members of the discipline. This can be as formal or informal as the
    >discipline wants. This is why we see battles over competence in the more
    >informal disciplines (like literary criticism and philosophy). Generally,
    >if you look at what the requirements are for getting a Ph.D. in a subject,
    >that's a good measure for mutually agreed upon standards of expertise.
    >After you get your degree, expertise is decided by how published you are
    >and/or your reputation (for instance, say you aren't very well published
    >due to outside circumstances (you aren't a good writer, you don't like
    >publishing, etc.), you could gain a reputation with your colleagues at the
    >university you teach, conferences you attend, other people you hang around
    >with).
    >
    >Matt

    Hi Matt,

    So truth is determined by majority vote?
    I think there is politics in the academia already and
    this is not something I felt very positive about.
    I think this brings less more focus to the
    status of the person giving the idea and less to
    the ideas themselves.
    Actually when I asked that question that wasn't exactly
    what I had intended. I was thinking more of
    folk knowledge of something (majority opinion) and
    expertise knowledge of something.

    Erin

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