[MD] Knowledge as MOQ's intellect

[Platt Holden]

Hi David M,

> > [Platt]
> > Can you give some examples of specific values that are dressed up as
> > "objective knowledge?" I'm having a hard time imagining them.

> DM: Sort of thing I have in mind are claims about what is human nature, or
> what is natural or natural behaviour. Usually this stuff is more value
> loaded than describing any necessity.

[Platt]
OK.  Psychology and related soft sciences are more susceptible to be
influenced by the investigators' biases than the hard sciences.

[Platt]
>>  Truth as
> > defined by Rorty and others in the postmodernist camp is considered to be
> > relative to culture or a power play, except, incoherently, the truth of
> > their own privileged stance. Not many are buying their self-falsifying
> > claims these days except a few humanities academics. Truth may have
> > "objective value" in that truth as a general concept cannot be denied
> > without asserting a truth, just as values cannot be denied without
> > asserting a value.  But, I await your comments.

[DM] 
> Truth I find of little value as a concept. What does something being true
> mean? Is the hat in the box? Don't know unless I look. Yes it is, yes it is
> true, only means that it is true due to experience after the experience.
> Sure you can say it was true before we looked but knowing the truth is just
> having an experience or imagining something could be experienced. So it has
> to be someone's experience. Is this relativism?

[Platt]
I guess you are referring to empirical truth, and believe it is true that 
empirical truth is the only legitimate truth. I think this illustrates my  
point that truth as a concept is impossible to deny and thus my be
"objective" in some sense -- like beauty and goodness.