there are rationalities (plural)
when I come to participate in a social practise – an activity with others – I will in short accept the rules and norms of that practise
for the duration of that practise the norms of that practise are my rationality
in different places and different times we operate with different rationalities
this multiplicity of rationalities points to the fact that there is no single universal account of rationality
which is to say there is no one theory of how to proceed
so yes there are cultural rationalities – agreed social practises and all they entail
it is not they are incommensurable with other rationalities
it is rather that there is no question of commensurability
different rationalities underlie different practises
the common ground of all practises is the unknown
the common ground of all rationalities is the unknown
the Tasmanian aborigines and the British colonist had trouble communicating – this is true
what they were facing in each other’s eyes was the unknown
and the question in any such situation is confrontation or embrace
confrontation is based on fear of the unknown
embrace is based on the recognition that the unknown is what underlies all difference – that it is the common ground – and therefore that from which one can move forward with another towards a new understanding
© greg. t. charlton. 2008.
