Re: Postmodernism and Truth (was Re: virus: Simulacrum)

J. McVean (jmcvean@acs.ucalgary.ca)
Fri, 17 May 96 17:49:25 MDT


David McFadzean writes:
> Sounds like logical positivism is the thesis and postermodernism is
> the antithesis. What if there is an objective truth but no theory can
> even theoretically become identical to it? Because theories are necessarily
> constructed of ideas, concepts, words, and memes. No matter how sophisticated
> or accurate they are, theories cannot become what they describe. This allows
> for pluralism: there can be many maps of the territory, all accurate but all
> focussing on diffent aspects of Truth(tm). Is that a reasonable Hegelian-like
> synthesis?

Sounds reasonable to me.
I'd just like to add that I would argue (if so prevoked :-) that
theories can be false or true or partially true or approximately
true or true but not relevant to the question at hand but they
can't be true at one time or in one culture but false in other
circumstances (unless the theory contains a reference to a
specific time or culture). This is a natural consequence of the
existence of an objective truth.

But then I have to wonder about certain interpretations of
quantum mechanics wherein the act of observing actually changes
what is being observed. It seems to me that this might make the
existence of an objective truth less tenable.

Hmmm... I'm really just thinking aloud... perhaps not a good
idea.

Jason