Indeterminacy in philosophy Indeterminacy (philosophy)

1 indeterminacy in philosophy

1.1 introduction
1.2 kant , hazards of positing thing in
1.3 nietzsche , indeterminacy of thing in
1.4 approximation versus equality
1.5 indeterminacy of meaning , translation
1.6 indeterminacy of pharmakon in derrida s plato s pharmacy
1.7 foucault , indeterminacy of insanity
1.8 indeterminacy in discourse analysis
1.9 indeterminacy , consciousness
1.10 criticism

indeterminacy in philosophy
introduction

the problem of indeterminacy arises when 1 observes eventual circularity of virtually every possible definition. easy find loops of definition in dictionary, because seems way concepts, , important ones such of existence, can defined in english language. definition collection of other words, , in finite dictionary if 1 continues follow trail of words in search of precise meaning of given term, 1 inevitably encounter linguistic indeterminacy.

philosophers , scientists try eliminate indeterminate terms arguments, since indeterminate thing unquantifiable , untestable; similarly, hypothesis consists of statement of properties of unquantifiable or indefinable cannot falsified , cannot said supported evidence not falsify it. related popper s discussions of falsifiability in works on scientific method. quantifiability of data collected during experiment central scientific method, since reliable conclusions can drawn replicable experiments, , since in order establish observer agreement scientists must able quantify experimental evidence.

kant , hazards of positing thing in

immanuel kant unwittingly proposed 1 answer question in critique of pure reason stating there must exist thing in  – thing cause of phenomena, not phenomenon itself. but, speak, approximations of things in crop in many models of empirical phenomena: singularities in physics, such gravitational singularities, aspects of (e.g., unquantifiability)can seem mirror various aspects of proposed thing in , eliminated (or attempts made @ eliminating them) in newer, more precise models of universe; , definitions of various psychiatric disorders stem, according philosophers draw on work of michel foucault, belief unobservable , indescribable fundamentally wrong mind of whoever suffers such disorder: proponents of foucault s treatment of concept of insanity assert 1 need try quantify various characteristics of such disorders presented in today s diagnostic , statistical manual – delusion, 1 of diagnostic criteria must exhibited patient if or considered schizophrenic, example – in order discover field of study known abnormal psychology relies upon indeterminate concepts in defining virtually each mental disorder describes. quality makes belief delusion indeterminate extent unquantifiable; arguments delusion determined popular sentiment (i.e., no-one believes or made of cheese, , belief delusion ) lead conclusion that, example, alfred wegener s assertion of continental drift delusion since dismissed decades after made.

nietzsche , indeterminacy of thing in

relevant criticism of kant s original formulation of thing in can found in works of friedrich wilhelm nietzsche, argued against held indeterminate nature of such concepts platonic idea, subject, kantian noumenon, opposition of appearance reality , etc. nietzsche concisely argued against kant s noumenon in on truth , lies in nonmoral sense follows:

thing in (which precisely pure truth, apart of consequences, be) likewise quite incomprehensible creator of language , not in least worth striving for.

in beyond , evil, nietzsche argues against misleading significance of words , production of thing in :

repeat it, however, hundred times, immediate certainty, absolute knowledge , thing in itself, involve contradictio in adjecto; ought free ourselves misleading significance of words!

furthermore, nietzsche argued against such singularities atom in scientific models of day in power:

detachment , freedom emotion, our science still dupe of linguistic habits; has never got rid of changelings called subjects. atom 1 such changeling, kantian thing-in-itself.

approximation versus equality

the concept of unapproachable further-approximable has led rejection philosophers nietzsche of concept of exact equality in general in favor of of approximate similarity:

every word instantly becomes concept precisely insofar not supposed serve reminder of unique , entirely individual original experience owes origin; rather, word becomes concept insofar simultaneously has fit countless more or less similar cases – means, purely , simply, cases never equal , altogether unequal.


truth? movable host of metaphors, metonymies, and; anthropomorphisms: in short, sum of human relations have been poetically , rhetorically intensified, transferred, , embellished, , which, after long usage, seem people fixed, canonical, , binding. truths illusions have forgotten illusions- metaphors have become worn out , have been drained of sensuous force, coins have lost embossing , considered metal , no longer coins.

if 1 states equation between 2 things, 1 states, in effect, same thing. can argued cannot possibly true, since 1 consider properties 2 sides of equation share – makes them equal  – 1 can, , does, consider them 2 separate concepts. in mathematical statement simple x=x , 1 encounters fundamental differences between 2 x es under consideration: firstly, there 2 distinct x es, in neither occupy same space on page nor in 1 s own mind. there otherwise 1 x . secondly, if 2 things absolutely equal in every possible respect, there no reason consider equality. nothing lead consider possibility or impossibility of equality if there no properties not shared between them , since there no relationship between them whatsoever. thirdly, , importantly, if 2 things equal in every possible respect not 2 things, same thing, since there no difference separate them.

in examples odd this, differences between 2 approximately equal things may small indeed, , true quite irrelevant discussions. acceptance of reflexive property illustrated above has led useful mathematical discoveries have influenced life of reading article on computer. in examination of possibility of determinacy of possible concept, differences supremely relevant since quality possibly make 2 separate things equal seems indeterminate.

indeterminacy of meaning , translation

see:

willard van orman quine: indeterminacy of translation, indeterminacy of reference
donald davidson: indeterminacy of interpretation

the indeterminacy of pharmakon in derrida s plato s pharmacy

indeterminacy discussed in 1 of jacques derrida s works plato s pharmacy (1969), reading of plato s phaedrus , phaedo. plato writes of fictionalized conversation between socrates , student, in socrates tries convince student writing inferior speech. socrates uses egyptian myth of thoth s creation of writing illustrate point. story goes, thoth presents invention god-king of upper egypt judgment. upon presentation, thoth offers script pharmakon egyptian people. greek word pharmakon poses quandary translators: both remedy , poison. in proffering of pharmakon, thoth presents true meaning: harm , benefit. god-king, however, refuses invention. through various reasonings, determines pharmakon of writing bad thing egyptian people. pharmakon, undecidable, has been returned decided. problem, derrida reasons, this: since word pharmakon, in original greek, means both remedy , poison, cannot determined remedy or poison. amon rejected writing poison in socrates retelling of tale, shutting out other possibilities.

foucault , indeterminacy of insanity

the philosopher michel foucault wrote existence of such problems of precise definition in concept of insanity itself – rough approximation of argument can found in late social commentator , journalist hunter s. thompson s book, kingdom of fear:

difference between sane , insane, in , yet within world, sane have power have insane locked up.

another summary of foucault s original argument against indeterminacy of concept of insanity in madness , civilization can found in following excerpt literature, arts, , medicine database:

central notion of confinement meaningful exercise. foucault s history explains how mad came first confined; how became identified confined due moral , economic factors determined ought confined; how became perceived dangerous through confinement, partly way of atavistic identification lepers place had come occupy; how liberated pinel , tuke, in liberation remained confined, both physically in asylums , in designation of being mad; , how confinement subsequently became enacted in figure of psychiatrist, practice moral tactic contemporary end of eighteenth century, preserved in rites of asylum life, , overlaid myths of positivism. science , medicine, notably, come in @ later stages, practices elaborated once division between mad , sane has been made (ix).

in archaeology of knowledge, foucault addresses indeterminacy directly discussing origin of meaning of concepts:

foucault directs analysis toward statement , basic unit of discourse believes has been ignored point. statement english translation french énoncé (that enunciated or expressed), has peculiar meaning foucault. Énoncé foucault means makes propositions, utterances, or speech acts meaningful. in understanding, statements not propositions, utterances, or speech acts. rather, statements create network of rules establishing meaningful, , these rules preconditions propositions, utterances, or speech acts have meaning. statements events . depending on whether or not comply rules of meaning, grammatically correct sentence may still lack meaning , inversely, incorrect sentence may still meaningful. statements depend on conditions in emerge , exist within field of discourse. huge collections of statements, called discursive formations, toward foucault aims analysis.

[...]

rather looking deeper meaning underneath discourse or looking source of meaning in transcendental subject, foucault analyzes conditions of existence meaning. in order show principles of meaning production in various discursive formations details how truth claims emerge during various epochs on basis of said , written during these periods of time.

the difference described foucault between sane , insane have observable , real effects on millions of people daily , can characterized in terms of effects, can serve illustrate particular effect of indeterminacy of definition: i.e., insofar general public tends not characterize or define insanity in precise terms, tends, according foucault, unnecessarily , arbitrarily confine of members on irrational basis. less-precisely such states insanity , criminality defined in society, more society fail continue on time describe same behaviors characteristic of states (or, alternately, characterize such states in terms of same behaviors).

indeterminacy in discourse analysis

steve hoenisch asserts in article interpretation , indeterminacy in discourse analysis [t]he exact meaning of speaker s utterance in contextualized exchange indeterminate. within context of analysis of teacher-pupil exchange, argue superiority of interactional linguistics on speech act theory because reduces indeterminacy , yields more principled interpretation[...] .

indeterminacy , consciousness

richard dawkins, man coined term meme in 1970s, described concept of faith in documentary, root of evil?, process of non-thinking . in documentary, used bertrand russell s analogy between teapot orbiting sun (something cannot observed because brightness of sun obscure best telescope s view) , object of 1 s faith (in particular case, god) explain highly indeterminate idea can self-replicate freely: in society had faith in teapot. stories of teapot had been handed down generations part of tradition of society. there holy books teapot.

in darwin s dangerous idea, daniel dennett argues against existence of determinate meaning (in case, of subjective experience of vision frogs) via explanation of indeterminacy in chapter entitled evolution of meanings, in section quest real meanings:

unless there meaningless or indeterminate variation in triggering conditions of various frogs eyes, there no raw material [...] selection new purpose act upon. indeterminacy fodor (and others) see flaw [...] prediction such evolution [of purpose ]. idea there must determinate frog s eye means – possibly unknowable proposition in froggish expresses frog s eye telling frog s brain – essentialism applied meaning (or function). meaning, function on directly depends, not determinate @ birth. [...]

dennet argues, controversially, against qualia in consciousness explained. qualia attacked several directions @ once: maintains not exist (or ill-defined play role in science, or else, i.e. behavioral dispositions). cannot simultaneously have properties attributed them philosophers—incorrigible, ineffable, private, directly accessible , on. multiple drafts theory leveraged show facts qualia not definite. critics object 1 s own qualia subjectively quite clear , distinct oneself.

the self-replicating nature of memes partial explanation of recurrence of indeterminacies in language , thought. wide influences of platonism , kantianism in western philosophy can arguably partially attributed indeterminacies of of fundamental concepts (namely, idea , noumenon, respectively).

for given meme exhibit replication , heritability – is, able make imperfect copy of more share given trait parent meme random member of general population of memes – must in way mutable, since memetic replication occurs means of human conceptual imitation rather via discrete molecular processes govern genetic replication. (if statement generate copies of didn t meaningfully differ it, process of copying more accurately described duplication replication , , incorrect term these statements memes ; same true if child statements did not noticeably inherit substantial proportion of traits parent statements.) in other words, if meme defined (and arbitrarily) statement (or collection of statements, foucault s discursive formations ) inherits some, not all, of properties (or elements of definition) parent memes , self-replicates, indeterminacy of definition seen advantageous memetic replication, since absolute rigidity of definition preclude memetic adaptation.

it important note indeterminacy in linguistics can arguably partially defeated fact languages changing. however, entire language , collected changes continue reflect still considered indeterminate.

criticism

persons of faith argue faith basis of knowledge . wikipedia article on faith states 1 must assume, believe, or have faith in credibility of person, place, thing, or idea in order have basis knowledge. in way object of 1 s faith similar kant s noumenon.

this seem attempt make direct use of indeterminacy of object of 1 s faith evidential support of existence: if object of 1 s faith proven exist (i.e., if no longer of indeterminate definition, or if no longer unquantifiable, etc.), faith in object no longer necessary; arguments authority such mentioned above wouldn t either; needed prove existence scientific evidence. thus, if faith considered reliable basis knowledge, persons of faith seem, in effect, assert indeterminacy not necessary, (see nassim taleb).