Matt quoted his essay:
"I think at the heart of the difference between philosophers attracted to the
classical pragmatists but repelled by Rorty is the thought that radical
empiricism returns us to the scene of life, a counter to abstract philosophical
sterilities. I can empathize with the formulation, to the idea of pragmatism
"returning us to the scene of life," a formula I've grown fond of. However,
what I think we should rather say in most cases, is that philosophy is abstract
by nature--that's what it is--and returning to the scene of life is something
that people need to figure out how to do, not necessarily philosophies, or
other abstract activities. For instance, why would we necessarily want
theoretical physics to do so? Philosophy is Dewey's indirect
experience--returning to life is knowing, as Wittgenstein put it, when to put
philosophy down."
dmb says:
I understand what you mean and it does get at the heart of the difference. This
is an example of where you gleefully embrace a position that makes me cringe. I
also think you're mis-characterizing and misreading the situation.
Roughly, if the scene of life is DQ and philosophical abstractions are static
quality, then you would be saying that DQ is something people need to figure
out, not philosophies. Isn't that fair?
I think it would only be natural for a MOQer to be alarmed by what you're
saying. This is not just picking nits. I'm fairly certain that putting DQ into
our philosophies - or rather some working concepts about DQ - is the main
mission of the MOQ.
We do want to maintain the distinction between the immediacy of life and
reflective knowing and it's good to know when not to reflect. But you are
taking a stance that very much opposes the MOQ's main thrust. For Pirsig, the
great crime is that somewhere back in ancient Greece Quality was pushed under
and made subservient to intellect. I think Rorty has his prints all over this
stance, the Rortian lens at work again. From here it just looks like Plato
slandering the Sophists all over again. And so I cringe.
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