Relativism (from the perspectives of canons, language, and reason)

Author: Wang Wei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: This book attempts to fundamentally demonstrate that relativism is not valid by analyzing the basic concepts involved in it, such as "paradigm," "language," and "reason." First, "paradigm" is not in the sense of Lakatos's "hard core thesis," but can be characterized by "family resemblance" among its elements. Thus, paradigms are examples for us to learn from, rather than obstacles. Second, the "incommensurability" between languages does not imply a complete breakdown of communication. A true bilingual person can achieve cross-paradigm understanding, and the creative capacity within languages can overcome "intranslatability." Finally, reason may not necessarily be hierarchical but can be a network model, so controversies at the level of values can also be discussed rationally. Moreover, the critical dimension inherent in the concept of reason helps us to critically reflect on our paradigms and make them more open. As a case study, the book also discusses traditional Chinese science, language, and reason, comparing them with the Western scientific tradition. This book is primarily aimed at professionals in the field of philosophy and readers with related academic interests.