The Paradoxes of Radical Empiricism

Question Four:  (Quoting me) “It is a paradox to claim that there are no foundational and unchanging truths, since that claim itself is unchanging and foundational.” What if I said “It is more pragmatic to inform action with reference to changing facts, rather than unchanging truth”? In the same way I cannot prove souls don’t exist, but when predicting the behavior of other people, it’s more useful to think of their memories and brain chemistry.

Pragmatic is the word usually used to mean that, given a certain end, when two means or paths exist to reach that end, the means combining the smaller effort with the greater chance of success or degree of reward or both is to be preferred. Is this the way you are using the word?

If so, this rewording does not escape the paradox. You are making the claim that it is less costly to inform action based on the changeable factors, what we call the variables, than based on the unchangeable factors, what we call the constants.

A single example with disprove the general rule. Suppose two cases. Two rational beings, a man and a woman, have some possession you desire. Let us assume for the sake of argument that the woman is smaller and weaker of the two.

In the first case, you win the possession from the man by an honest trade in return for some recompense from you, or because he makes a generous gesture that requires your gratitude in return.

In the second case, you win the possession from the woman by theft or by violence, under such conditions where there is no real possibility of her retaliation, as no one will avenge her. In this second case, you saved the expense of any recompense and are excused of the burden of gratitude for her generosity. By any measure, it is both less expensive and more likely to succeed.

The possession in both cases is the same. The rational nature and innate human rights in both cases in the same. Those are the constants.

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Originally published at John C. Wright's Journal. Please leave any comments there.