Rational choice is not between science and common sense; it is a choice of both, of science to master the universal, and of common sense to deal with the particular. -Bernard Lonergan
Part I in this series of posts can be found here. Methodological and epistemological claims Ladyman and Ross make two claims, one meta-methodological and one epistemological, that serve to reinforce their naturalism as well as further the case against the domestication of science. First, the meta-methodological claim is their attempt to address the demarcation between … Continue reading The argument of Every Thing Must Go (Part II)
The purpose of my dissertation is to enter Bernard Lonergan's work on cognitional theory, epistemology, and metaphysics into the contemporary debate concerning scientism. For this, there is no better pair of interlocutors than James Ladyman and Don Ross and their work Every Thing Must Go. In this and subsequent posts, I'll present my summary and … Continue reading The argument of Every Thing Must Go (Part I)
Thomas Hobbes This post will make more sense if the reader reads this first. Empiricist epistemology Thomas Hobbes began several major works of political philosophy by first discussing the nature of sensation and its underlying significance for understanding political matters. Similarly, David Hume's An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding is simply that, an investigation of human … Continue reading Empiricist epistemology – Thomas Hobbes
Rene Descartes Traditional epistemology Epistemology is the area of philosophy that seeks to answer questions about our knowing, how that knowing is justified, and how grounds for justification are established. Epistemological naturalists often use the phrase traditional epistemology to describe the Cartesian tradition of philosophical inquiry, which began by asking epistemological questions prior to any … Continue reading Descartes and the epistemological turn
David Hume's problem of induction makes for an interesting case study in which to see the division between intellectualism and conceptualism play out. Below I state what Hume takes the problem to be. Elsewhere, I discuss Popper's conceptualist treatment of Hume's problem. The problem stated In An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Hume examines the sources … Continue reading Hume’s problem of induction
I have read this section of Insight many times. Each time I’ve tried to summarize, restate, or rephrase it, but have failed each time. Perhaps it’s because the content is an exposition of an example. Whatever the cause, know that much of what follows quotes whole passages of Lonergan's text. My previous post introduced Lonergan's … Continue reading Defining a circle
Dissertating Outloud 