[Wittrs] Re: Debating with Paradigms
- From: "kirby_urner" <kirby.urner@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: wittrsamr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:13:59 -0000
--- In WittrsAMR@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "jrstern" <wittrsamr@...> wrote:
>
> --- In Wittrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "iro3isdx" <xznwrjnk-evca@> wrote:
> >
> > > In relation to Thomas Kuhn's 'Structure of Scientific Revolutions'
> > > Rorty suggested that philosophy, unlike the sciences, doesn't
> > > settle down into these longish periods of settled paradigms.
> >
> > Perhaps that is because it lacks any real subject matter.
> > there's that cynicism again).
>
> Did Rorty really say that?
>
> Heh.
>
> More like, it's because Wittgenstein was right, most (or all)
> philosophy is just word games, the nature of which is perpetual.
>
> But I think the (Rorty's) claim is debatable.
>
I do too. Remember the context: Princeton classroom, 1970s, Kuhn's
book is hot stuff and everyone is reading it. He also tied his rap
to 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance' on more than a few
occasions. As a teacher, his job so to speak, was to weave a
tapestry with threads we'd relate to, along with those we would not,
if not so interwoven.
Thinking of Sean's ranking of the different Wittgenstein lists, he
was talking to Wittrsamr, not to House of Lords.
>
> Rorty's own paradigm being exactly that universal empiricism that claims that
> it has no preconceptions and suffers no paradigms.
>
> Josh
>
I got back in touch with my teachers later in life. This thing I was
doing with Quadrays seemed soooo Remarks on Foundations, but Rorty
wasn't big math head.
He called Wittgenstein an anti-representationalist (thinking of one
of his books that I read) and was one of his sympathizers, if we
agree to use that word.
I know Sean has little patience for Rorty's philo, which I'd grant
he understands better than I do.
Having spent time with Rorty in person, as an undergrad watching a
master teacher, I will just say he was impressive and dedicated to
his work.
Getting his lectures all typed up single space before class was
really cool, is it meant students give him more focused attention,
didn't have their heads buried in their notebooks as much of the
time. This made for stronger classroom dynamics. He often got
applause at the end of a lecture, no kidding.
I recently met another philosopher who had spent time with Rorty and
sparred with him a lot: Dr. Susan Haack. We compared notes quite a
bit, when she joined us at the Linus Pauling House.
http://worldgame.blogspot.com/2009/02/pauling-house-meeting.html
Kirby
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