Shelby asked : Can one really live one's life constantly in doubt of reality and objective truth? It would seem that were one to adopt Radical Constructivism as viable then one would have some serious issues functioning in the world whilst constantly doubting the existence and nature of one's external world.
My mind jumps to the famous Socratic saying that the unexamined life is not worth living. This is not to imply that one must be constantly examining in order to lead a fulfilling human life, more that one must be ready and willing to examine when the situation calls for it. I think that a similar approach to Radical Constructivism would be prudent. I doubt that Von G. woke up every morning and would exhaust the cognitive energy on questioning the external properties of his bagel, or whether or not it even existed.
This does, however, leave us with problems. If one accepts Radical Constructivism and has chosen to employ its inherent agnosticism only when prudent, one must learn at what point doubting the nature of one's reality is actually prudent. It seems obvious when it might not be a good idea. I think a baseball player attempting to hit a pitch ought not question the metaphysical properties of the ball. I am fairly unsure however as to when it would be prudent to employ this doubt.
When would it be prudent for the Radical Constructivist to doubt reality and objective truth in everyday life?
I responded to this post.
ReplyDeleteI did not respond to the question, but I have written a blog post concerning some issues you raise.
ReplyDelete