Re: MD Begging the Question, Moral Intuitions, and Answering the Nazi, Part III

From: MATTHEW PAUL KUNDERT (mpkundert@students.wisc.edu)
Date: Wed Oct 15 2003 - 12:29:59 BST

  • Next message: Richard Loggins: "Re: MD Begging the Question, Moral Intuitions, and Answering the Nazi, Part III"

    Hey Steve,

    Steve said:
    "I really don't buy that. If you're not talking about the world then what could you be talking about? See below."

    and

    "I don't see how a pragmatist who "don't make assumptions" could possibly explain anything since we established that reasoning must begin with assumptions. It would seem that pragmatism as you describe it can only be a negative philosophy. All it seems to be good for is saying, "Hey, you're not being a good pragmatist" (or "you're begging the question.")"

    Matt:
    I think there is some confusion about what it means to be a pragmatist. First, you are right, the pragmatism that Rorty espouses is almost exclusively a negative philosophy. This isn't a strike against pragmatism because it doesn't make you choose between the negative philosopher (Rorty) and the positive philosopher (Pirsig). Second, the pragmatist doesn't say "don't make assumptions" because you are right, we couldn't possibly explain anything without them. All reasoning needs them. Third, I am talking about the world, I'm just not attempting to say how it _really_ is. I'm just attempting to cope with it.

    The pragmatist makes a distinction between trying to get at the way the world _really_ is through language or other means and simply trying to cope with the world, trying to survive and perhaps some other private things. If you don't make a distinction, if you think everybody has a metaphysics, if you think that everybody makes assumptions about the way the world _really_ is whether they like it or not, then you can't engage with the pragmatist in an argument because the two of you don't have a crucial assumption in common.

    But, again, I didn't really want to talk ad nauseum about pragmatism and Rorty, I wanted to discuss them within Pirsig and what it means for Pirsig. Nobody seems to want to believe me.

    Matt

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