Liberating Philosophy from Objectivity (4)
A call for a new kind of common sense
Physical science and philosophy are the two great disciplines of our pursuit of understanding. The former, guided by empirical evidence and entrenched in linear progress, marches boldly towards new frontiers of understanding. Yet philosophy, with its swelling sea of differing perspectives, has too often been disparaged as languishing in perpetual stagnation.
But is this unfavorable comparison between science and philosophy founded on a flawed premise?
Analytic philosophy is a disciplined field that often occupies a space akin to physical science, by boasting an objective and reductionist perspective. Embracing logical rigor and linguistic precision, analytic philosophers dissect concepts to extract their core meanings — a mirror image of scientific inquiry. From a superficial standpoint, these parallel pursuits engender favorable comparisons that implicitly undermine philosophy’s distinct value.
However, standing in defiant contrast to rigid objectivism, philosophic explorations also invoke the enigma of the subjective realm — the inherent significance of lived experiences. Insights stemming from within each individual mind share an ethereal space alongside objectivist theories of the external world.
This shadowy landscape owes its genesis to the inescapability of the subjective factor, and acknowledges the subject’s formidable power in facing an external object.
Questions arise: What lies at the core of consciousness? And how does this intrinsic force shape our perceptions, judgments, and interactions with a seemingly objective world?
Alas, philosophical debates revolving around the elusive nature and function of consciousness persist like whispers beckoning decipherment amidst ancient ruins.
Perhaps we must face the renowned no-progress problem head-on — a knot painstakingly woven by monoletheic thinking. As long as philosophy remains tethered to the linear trajectory of singular truth — a Sisyphean endeavor proving indefinable amid paradoxical undercurrents — the corridors of meaningful progress remain inaccessible.
A philosophical metamorphosis yearns to transpire. We are in need of an audacious paradigm shift to emancipate our understanding from the suffocating grip of restrictive frameworks.
To realize genuine innovation, we must disassemble deeply ingrained questions and transcend the confines of traditionalist perspectives. Our capacity for new knowledge demands a reinterpretation — one that uncovers untrodden avenues and encourages juxtapositions between disciplines once deemed unrelated. Herein lies the essence of transformative progress.
Alongside this newfound temerity, we must pledge allegiance to a different strain of common sense — a resilient intuition open to diverse patterns that transcend mere linearity.
