Re: BHA: Mainstream Philosophy of Science

[Mervyn Hartwig <mh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Tobin,

>Actually, my
>sense is that "audience" is not really on his mind at all anymore.

I don't think this is true. Some of his recent stuff is more accessible
than anything else he's done - reasonably informal talks, and
conversations with a poet/philosopher.... I think his intended audience
nowadays basically is the potential global emancipation movement, most
manifest in the movement for Social Justice etc (the anti-globalisation
or anti-capitalist movement). Certainly not just professional
philosophers!

>Re "pluriverses", I was under the understanding that the theory of multiple
>universes derives from the "Copenhagen" interpretation of quantum mechanics,
>which is rife with positivist and irrealist assumptions.  No?

I don't think I said 'multiple universes', but if I did, please excuse;
I've been doing things on the trot. I don't think Bhaskar uses the
concept. I think we should distinguish it from the notion of 'a
pluriverse', i.e. an irreducibly plural and stratified (and
exponentially expanding) universe.

Mervyn




Tobin Nellhaus <nellhaus@xxxxxxx> writes
>> I took Tobin's comment to mean that Bhaskar's message, hence his
>> audience, has been perceived to be Left. True.
>
>Yes, and also that a good number of his early essays were published in
>explicitly leftist journals (e.g. New Left Review, Radical Philosophy) or
>written for socialist-oriented conferences.  So he often sought specifically
>leftist audiences.  And even though I'm far from happy with FEW (sorry
>Mervyn), it still upholds a connection between a philosophy of science and a
>progressive political agenda.
>
>(I have less sense of who he feels is his audience today.  Actually, my
>sense is that "audience" is not really on his mind at all anymore.  Which --
>if true -- has its drawbacks, but maybe allows him to pursue his ideas
>wherever they might lead, and without worrying about what other philosophers
>are saying.  But I certainly could be mistaken.)
>
>Re "pluriverses", I was under the understanding that the theory of multiple
>universes derives from the "Copenhagen" interpretation of quantum mechanics,
>which is rife with positivist and irrealist assumptions.  No?
>
>T.
>
>---
>Tobin Nellhaus
>nellhaus@xxxxxxxx
>"Faith requires us to be materialists without flinching": C.S. Peirce
>
>
>
>
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