Richard Rorty’s philosophical papers vol.1 - the introduction
our experience of reality is unified
our analysis of reality is divided
this can be seen as being of the nature of analysis
without divisions separations differentiations there is no breaking down of the unity
it is clear that it is of the nature of the human being to break down the unified reality
and we can say that this breaking down of the unity to its parts or to its dimensions - provides the dynamic basis on which the human beings operate
I would suggest the most fundamental of these divisions is that between the internal and external dimensions of reality
internality is consciousness - the external dimension is the surface world
these are the two metaphysical dimensions of a single unity
and they are the natural given operational dimensions of the human being
nevertheless any action of this unity – the human being - is a unified action
in analysis it can be broken down
we can speak of the internal dimension of an act – that is the consciousness of it
and we can speak of an act as a purely external observable event
‘an event’s belief’- if I can put it that way – is its thought content - is its internal dimension –
there is no question of representation here
the belief does not represent the act – the belief is the internal dimension of the act
what though is this thought content?
in an immediate sense it is simply the awareness of what is happening
in a reflective sense it characteristically means to give reasons for
and this is to place an event in an ideal context or setting
to speak of it in terms such as i.e. as ‘cause’ and ‘end’
such ideal categories refer to - if you like – the subjective dimension of an act - the unobservable dimension of an act
one’s belief e.g. about the cause and end of one’s act – is from the external observer’s point of view – the unknown dimension of the act
and even from the actor’s point of view any such description is really indeterminate
the act as a purely external event is unknown –
as a conscious event there is the pretence of knowledge –
that is the event has ‘belief characterization’
this is not some decision - it is a given dimension of any conscious act
reflection shows us clearly that the epistemology of action is indeterminate
that is to say there are any number of ways the event can be characterized internally
an internal characterization – nevertheless – there will be
it is often put that analysis has the goal of explanation
as if the fact of analysis somehow leads to a deeper truth – deeper than the truth of reality – as given
this thinking really comes from a denial of the unknown and a fear of it – and the belief that it can be challenged and overcome with ‘knowledge’
that knowledge – therefore is something deeper than what is given
as I see it analysis simply enables us to move – to act
it provides the space - the dynamic setting for action –
that is to say that with the awareness of division - comes the awareness of the possibility of its resolution - that is of unity
but a unity which is not like the initial unity – unknown
the unity that is sought after the division – as a result of the analysis – is the known unity – the explained unity
this is a common view of the function and end of analysis
it is a view which I believe is like the idea of sub specie aeternitatis – an imaginative leap - wishful thinking
however without such beliefs much of human action would be without motive or end
my view is that such ‘false’ conceptions – actually have function
and therefore as second order belief systems they are valid
that is to say they enable conscious action – they provide operative frameworks
the ‘truth’ of these frameworks is to be decided in the field of action
what enables one to move has truth value – what brings you to a stop does not
reality demands decision – and there are no objective grounds to appeal to
one simply does what one does – because one has to - and the reasons for or against the decision are justifications – before or after the fact
justifications here function as support for the unsupported – this is their value – their use
short lived – but emotionally and strategically necessary
(c) greg. t. charlton. 2008.
