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The Role of the Philosopher in Public Life

The Role of the Philosopher in Public Life. The paradigmatic philosopher: Socrates. ignorance dialogue. Hans Christian Andersen: The Emperor's New Cloths. Roger Penrose: The Emperor's New Mind. Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics (1989). Bertrand Russell

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The Role of the Philosopher in Public Life

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  1. The Role of the Philosopher in Public Life

  2. The paradigmatic philosopher:Socrates • ignorance • dialogue

  3. Hans Christian Andersen: The Emperor's New Cloths

  4. Roger Penrose: The Emperor's New Mind. Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics (1989)

  5. Bertrand Russell • Jean-Paul Sartre • Similarities: • Independent intellectuals • Nobel prize in literature

  6. Nobel prize in literature • Russell (1950) “In recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought.” • Sartre (1962) “...for his work which, rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom and the quest for truth, has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age.”

  7. Georg Henrik von Wright • Vetenskapen och förnuftet (“Science and Reason”) 1985 • Myten om framsteget (“The Myth of Progress”) 1993

  8. von Wright's important insights: • To understand the present, we have to understand the past • To solve the problems of modern society, radical changes are required

  9. The problem of rationality is “multi-dimensional” (refers to Weber, Adorno and Habermas) • Distinction between rationality and reasonableness (related to Weber's distinction between Zweckrationalität and Wertrationalität)

  10. “The alliance between the new rationality and power introduces a new chapter in the history of science.” • Modern science and technology is closely related to a mechanistic world view.

  11. Challenges to the mechanistic world view? • Quantum mechanics • Non-reductionist biology (for example Barbara McClintock) • Systems theory and holistic theories in general

  12. Do we need more applied philosophy? • In a certain sense, yes. • However, the distinction should be used with care.

  13. Peter Galison: Einstein's Clocks, Poincaré's Maps. Empires of Time, 2003

  14. Either • “Applied philosophy” = “pure philosophy” applied to concrete cases or • “Pure philosophy” = purified “applied philosophy”

  15. Stephen Toulmin: • Cosmopolis. The hidden Agenda of Modernity (1987) • Return to Reason

  16. Is ignorance a virtue? • The importance of asking stupid questions • The importance of knowledge

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