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The Role of the Philosopher in Public Life. The paradigmatic philosopher: Socrates  ignorance  dialogue.

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Presentation on theme: "The Role of the Philosopher in Public Life. The paradigmatic philosopher: Socrates  ignorance  dialogue."— Presentation transcript:

1 The Role of the Philosopher in Public Life

2 The paradigmatic philosopher: Socrates  ignorance  dialogue

3  Hans Christian Andersen: The Emperor's New Cloths

4  Roger Penrose: The Emperor's New Mind. Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics (1989)

5  Bertrand Russell  Jean-Paul Sartre  Similarities: Independent intellectuals Nobel prize in literature

6  Russell (1950) “In recognition of his varied and significant writings in which he champions humanitarian ideals and freedom of thought.”  Sartre (1962) “...for his work which, rich in ideas and filled with the spirit of freedom and the quest for truth, has exerted a far-reaching influence on our age.”

7  Georg Henrik von Wright Vetenskapen och förnuftet (“Science and Reason”) 1985 Myten om framsteget (“The Myth of Progress”) 1993

8  von Wright's important insights: To understand the present, we have to understand the past To solve the problems of modern society, radical changes are required

9  The problem of rationality is “multi- dimensional” (refers to Weber, Adorno and Habermas)  Distinction between rationality and reasonableness (related to Weber's distinction between Zweckrationalität and Wertrationalität)

10  “The alliance between the new rationality and power introduces a new chapter in the history of science.”  Modern science and technology is closely related to a mechanistic world view.

11 Challenges to the mechanistic world view?  Quantum mechanics  Non-reductionist biology (for example Barbara McClintock)  Systems theory and holistic theories in general

12  Do we need more applied philosophy?  In a certain sense, yes.  However, the distinction should be used with care.

13  Peter Galison: Einstein's Clocks, Poincaré's Maps. Empires of Time, 2003

14 Either  “Applied philosophy” = “pure philosophy” applied to concrete cases or  “Pure philosophy” = purified “applied philosophy”

15 Stephen Toulmin:  Cosmopolis. The hidden Agenda of Modernity (1987)  Return to Reason

16 Is ignorance a virtue?  The importance of asking stupid questions  The importance of knowledge


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