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Epistemology

Richard Rorty Rortyan Liberalism Truth Pragmatism Cheryl Misak Philosophy
(Louise Boyle/Cornell University Library)

Rortian Liberalism and the Problem of Truth

April 16, 2021May 19, 2021 16 min read Adrian Rutt Epistemology, Essential Reading, Liberalism, Politics, Truth

In defending liberalism, the philosopher Richard Rorty argues that there is no difference—in practice—between aiming at justification and aiming at something more called truth.

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Michel Serres A Poetic Philosopher Erraticus Image by Manuel Cohen
(Manuel Cohen/AFP)

Michel Serres, A Poetic Philosopher

June 10, 2019June 1, 2020 9 min read Finn Janning Epistemology, Love

Michel Serres was a life-affirming philosopher whose emphatic style humanized science, encouraged empathy, and accepted our chaotic origins.

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Play is the metaphysics of becoming Erraticus image by Luke Porter
(Luke Porter)

Play Is the Metaphysics of Becoming

May 14, 2019June 1, 2020 8 min read Finn Janning Epistemology, Metaphysics, Play

Play is a matter of life and death, and it differs from games in a fundamental way—but it is also a metaphysical activity.

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What Earthquakes Teach Us About Embracing Uncertainty Erraticus Image by Yosh Ginsu
(Yosh Ginsu)

What Earthquakes Teach Us About Embracing Uncertainty

January 22, 2019June 1, 2020 12 min read Nicole Carloni Environmentalism, Epistemology, Essential Reading, Nature

For natural disasters large enough to reshape society, Dr. Lucy Jones explains, “The best fit to the data is that it’s random. And we hate it. Random makes people really upset.” But such uncertainty doesn’t have to leave us feeling helpless—we should embrace the inherent chaos of the universe.

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Psychological Studies Overlook 85 Percent of People on Earth Erraticus Image by Benny Jackson
(Benny Jackson)

Psychological Studies Overlook 85 Percent of People on Earth

November 18, 2018June 1, 2020 6 min read Daniel Hruschka Epistemology, Philosophy of Science

We can’t make claims about human nature when studies only represent a narrow slice of humanity: mostly college students, middle-class respondents living near universities, and highly educated residents of wealthy, industrialized and democratic nations.

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Truth Absolute Works Erraticus Image by Valentin Antonucci
(Valentin Antonucci)

Truth Is Not Absolute, but That Which Works

August 8, 2018April 22, 2021 6 min read Cheryl Misak Epistemology, Pragmatism, William James

A common view of truth aims for that which corresponds with reality. Left with nothing but our own interpretations of the world, Pragmatists, like William James and Charles Peirce, argue that the best we can do is to hold to that which works.

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A Pragmatic Approach to Ideas

An online publication focused on human flourishing, taking a pragmatic approach to ideas. We care about ideas that help us to live well together, focusing on their practical consequences.

 

“Pragmatism, on the other hand, asks its usual question. ‘Grant an idea or belief to be true,’ it says, ‘what concrete difference will its being true make in anyone’s actual life? How will the truth be realized? What experiences will be different from those which would obtain if the belief were false? What, in short, is the truth’s cash-value in experiential terms?'” — William James

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