Review

1. Review • Dewey and social focus • Political and educational involvement • Reforms failed—hard to implement w/o good teachers • Public quarrel with Bertrand Russell • Stops talking about ‘truth’ • Warranted assertability and 可 • Coherence theory of truth with success for the whole body of beliefs • Inner light (a priori) method plus success test • Between James and Peirce

2. Social Norms of Assertion • Only if “know” • justified by language (concept) norms • Assumption of shared information gathering • Need to trust and transmit • Social intelligence—norm system effect • Rejects radical individualism in epistemology • Picture theory of belief and language • Fit for China and reception in Beijing

3. Kant and Darwin mix • Plus English Utilitarianism • World structured by social mind (language) • Survival of fittest and most fulfilling (utility) • Theory of inquiry • Natural organic method refined in social practice • Habit, frustration, observation activity, hypothesis • Test and return to habit (if successful) • Babies in lab-coats • Is science is a cultural peculiarity • Logic and inference—Chinese science?

4. Practical Doubt • Criticism of Descartes • Not general total doubt • No recovery • Actual doubt resolved by inquiry • Relying on other beliefs—may be doubted later • Science model—conservative and efficient • System for storing, retrieving, information • All can access it without domination • Apply it by its own principles • Social intelligence

5. Questions Review next week You bring questions Day off?

6. Social Emphasis • Interest in Marxism, China • Shared social focus • American "socialist" • Critical of Marxism but shared view of human social nature • Main divergence: radical v ameliorative • Violent v liberal—like Neurath's boat

7. "Classical Liberalism" • Conservative individualism • Shallow psychology of human nature • Atomistic, egoistic, base hedonistic, amoral individuals (psychological egoist) • Needing law to motivate moral behavior • Self-fulfilling prophecy • Familiar examples in business and love • American character v. Chinese character: • Our nature is shaped by culture and institutions

8. Classical Focus Wrong • Not question of individual v society • Question is how to blend nature & culture • How to construct a culture given that it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy • New liberalism • Way to justify liberty is that its institutions create free people • Self-critical, responsible, autonomous • Not something demanded by metaphysically free individuals

9. Democracy • Face to face discussion creates communal humans • Shared views • Mutual respect • Equality • Concern for community • Advocate democracy • To create self‑governing, self‑perfecting beings • Not because majority is right or wise

10. Justification • Majoritarian fallacy • Have a right to decide ≠ are right • But prediction markets and “wisdom of crowds” • A human right grounded in human nature? • Classical atomistic individual argument • Goal of combined shared social intelligence • Each knows her own interest best • Not perfectly but better than any authority • Combine interests in a decision procedure • Involve all computing units in the problem

11. Real Problems for Liberalism • Non‑political/cultural factors inhibit moral growth • Democracy as empty election ritual • Even when politically free • Manipulative "free" institutions • Television, domination of media, TV evangalists • Money and power to persuade • Economic determinism • Songs and arts • Confucius on 禮liritual and music

12. Manipulation • Television and advertising create artificial needs • Cars, fashions, perfumes, colognes, style • Hong Kong specialty • Related to songs and natural impulse • Cf. Laozi and social desires • Education for jobs • Free form of slavery • Sensationalist slaves • Educational system‑‑teachesdocility • Free-market culture makes us less free

13. Solution • Political involvement • People take real power over themselves • Goal of democracy—responsibility to be informed • Set up institutions with that goal • Education systems, rule of law, rights, democracy • Achieve more success (Radical Westernizers in China) • Social intelligence • Value knowledge is like scientific knowledge • Social, coherent and experimental—get and like • Criticize some only—no systematic value doubt

14. Philosophy for All • Reason in morals and in science • Social shared intelligence • We cannot choose not to philosophize • We choose do it well. . . • Or badly