A Philosopher's Ruminations

  The epistemological question of what we know, how do we know are inextricably bound to the question of the ‘special status’ of human beings – in what way are human beings rational animals? Is rationality a difference in kind or degree between human beings and animals? To answer the epistemological question we have to reflect upon the rational capacities of human beings and then to articulate this understanding of understanding. The point here is that the question of the validity of knowledge with which science is concerned and the question of the nature of human being and human rationality are intimately related and one is bound to have influence on the other. To use Sellars’ words the manifest image of human being and the scientific image of human being, the question of what we can know and the question what is, cannot be severed apart from one another. If for instance a scientist like Benjamin Libet tells us that human beings have no free will, it will be no consolation to know...

  ..... Stop chatter and take to learning. This duty to keep in one's talk can be named an essential condition of all culture and all learning; one must begin by becoming capable of taking up the thoughts of others and of renouncing one's own fancies. It is usually said that the understanding is developed by questions, objections, answer etc.; in effect however it is not thus formed, but externally made. Man's inwardness is what is won and widened in true culture; he grows not poorer in thoughts or in quickness of mind by silently containing himself. He learns rather thereby ability to take up and acquires perception of the worthlessness of his own conceits and objections and as the perception of the worthlessness of such conceits grows he breaks himself of the having of them. --------- HEGEL I.                 LOGICAL POSITIVISM II.            ...