[lit-ideas] Re: Conscious after the fact?



--- On Sun, 29/6/08, wokshevs@xxxxxx <wokshevs@xxxxxx> wrote:

> From: wokshevs@xxxxxx <wokshevs@xxxxxx>
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Conscious after the fact?
> To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Andy" <mimi.erva@xxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Sunday, 29 June, 2008, 7:00 PM
> 
> If your claims and
> reasons are the result of "compulsions" and the
> "unconcsious" - as you yourself
> acknowledge - then your audience wonders after the
> epistemic grounds of your
> claims. 

That is, they must be the results of "compulsions" and the "unconscious" in 
which case this undermines their rational objectivity: that is, as rational 
claims they are self-refuting. But that a claim is rationally self-refuting, 
though a severe weakness, does not mean the claim is self-contradictory or 
false. The claim of "compulsion" or determinism may imply that the claim itself 
is the result of compulsion or is determined: while this undermines its status 
as a claim based on reason, it does not show the claim is false.

Therefore, I think the last comment goes too far.

> As
> such, you exclude
> yourself from the forum of public reason.

It is true such a position perhaps denies itself any rational basis; but that 
does not mean it is exempt from rational evaluation (such as Walter's); and as 
such it may have a place inside the "forum" even though it perhaps denies there 
is a "forum of public reason" - particularly because it may not be false (a 
person may believe they are acting freely though we know they act under the 
influence/compulsion of drugs) and may have a degree of truth.

It might be added that arguing compulsion sits uneasily with thinking we can 
improve matters through education and licensing, unless we say the compulsion 
is defeasible - with kind of takes its bite away.

Also 0-1.

Donal



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