From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Fri Sep 05 2003 - 15:22:45 BST
Matt, David
> David said:
> But physicalism makes Rorty an inconsistent post-modernist, as Andrew
> Bowie says in his book on Schelling: "The important fact that makes one
> sceptical about Rorty's position is that Rorty himself actually does
> retain a ground, in that he, albeit somewhat inconsistently, advocates a
> form of physicalism, which involves a questionable ontological
> commitment of the kind he critisises in others."
>
> Platt said:
> This is precisely the criticism I've levelled at Rorty ever since Matt
> began touting his philosophy.
>
> Matt:
> I gotta' hand it to Platt on this one. He has been leveling this exact
> criticism at Rorty and myself for the past year (amongst many other
> repeated criticisms). And I've been answering the criticism in the
> exact same way for the past year: non-reductive physicalism does not
> retain an ontological commitment. Ontology is optional. If you think
> ontology is not optional, and therefore any form of physicalism or any
> other belief has an ontological commitment, then you are begging the
> question. Pragmatists don't want to have that conversation and they
> refuse to be pulled into it. As DeWeese suggested to Pirsig, Do not
> enter the arena.
>
> Is begging the question a big deal? Only if you want to gain a
> dialectical hold over a person and wrestle them to the ground.
Begging the question seems to be a big deal to you because you mention
it in almost every other post. Your tactic to deflect criticism of
Rorty is not to cope, but to cop out. Which is fine if you think that's
"useful" tactic. But I find it defeatist. It's like the kid who runs
away with the bat and ball if the rest of gang won't play be his rules.
Anyway, stating that "ontology is optional" is begging the question on
your part.
Incidentally, David asked, "What is the utility of beauty?" Looking
forward to your answer.
Platt
"Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom. It is
the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves. -- William Pitt
Platt
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