Monday, July 8, 2013

Perspectivism


Perspectivism

Perspectivism is the philosophical view developed by Friedrich Nietzsche that all ideations take place from particular perspectives. This means that there are many possible conceptual schemes, or perspectives in which judgment of truth or value can be made. This is often taken to imply that no way of seeing the world can be taken as definitively "true", but does not necessarily entailthat all perspectives are equally valid.

View

Perspectivism rejects objective metaphysics as impossible, claiming that no evaluation of objectivity can transcend cultural formations or subjective designations. Therefore, there are no objective facts, nor any knowledge of a thing-in-itself. Truth is separated from any particular vantage point, and so there are no ethical orepistemological absolutes. Rules (i.e., those of philosophy, the scientific method, etc.) are constantly reassessed according to the circumstances of individual perspectives. "Truth" is thus created by integrating different vantage points together.
People always adopt perspectives by default – whether they are aware of it or not – and the concepts of one's existence are defined by the circumstances surrounding that individual. Truth is made by and for individuals and peoples. This view differs from many types of relativism which consider the truth of a particular proposition as something that altogether cannot be evaluatedwith respect to an "absolute truth",[citation needed]without taking into consideration culture and context.
This view is outlined in an aphorism from Nietzsche's posthumously-assembled collectionThe Will to Power:
In so far as the word “knowledge” has any meaning, the world is knowable; but it is interpretable otherwise, it has no meaning behind it, but countless meanings.—"Perspectivism."
It is our needs that interpret the world; our drives and their For and Against.[emphasis added] Every drive is a kind of lust to rule; each one has its perspective that it would like to compel all the other drives to accept as a norm.
— Friedrich Nietzsche; trans. Walter Kaufmann , The Will to Power, §481 (1883-1888)

INTERPRETATION

Richard Schacht, in his interpretation of Nietzsche's thought, argues that this can be expanded into a revised form of "objectivity" in relation to "subjectivity" as an aggregate of singular viewpoints that illuminate, for example, a particular idea in seemingly self-contradictory ways but upon closer inspection would reveal a difference of contextuality and of rule by which such an idea (e.g., that is fundamentally perspectival) can be validated. Therefore, it can be said each perspective is subsumed into and, taking account of its individuated context, adds to the overall objective measure of a proposition under examination. Nevertheless, perspectivism does not implicate any method of inquiry nor astructural theory of knowledge in general.

See also

-- 07 -- Opinions - Moral Arguments

-- 07 -- Opinions - Moral Arguments

TPCT Ch. 11: Judging Moral Arguments and TheoriesReview ePortfolio 1



Chapter Six Opinions
This chapter explores that familiar word opinion and examines the way it affects our ability to think critically. Again we have a familiar but confusing word that can be used in many different ways. Exercises are offered to help you assess your understanding of the different varieties of opinion. Writing applications ask you to test and expand what you know into essays that articulate, support, describe, or analyze opinions. Readings show you how professional writers can present support for an opinion; in one case through direct statement, and in a second case through a satirical sub-statement.


Glossary
Chapter 6
advice
Advice is to recommend an opinion to someone else.
argument
There are the two parts of an argument. The conclusion, or main summary idea and the reasons given to support that idea.
infer
To use imagination and reasoning to fill in missing facts. To connect the dots.
judgment
Judgment is a final opinion, decision, conclusion or evaluation about something.
opinion
Opinion is a word used to include an unsupported belief, a supported argument, an expert’s judgment, prevailing public sentiment, and a formal statement by a court.
personal taste or preference
Personal taste or preferences are forms of opinions that express likes or dislikes. They can be irrational and need not be supported with reasons.
thinking
Purposeful mental activity such as reasoning, deciding, judging, believing, supposing, expecting, intending, recalling, remembering, visualizing, imagining, devising, inventing, concentrating, conceiving, considering.