Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Laden

We had a very spirited discussion at our book study group tonight. We were talking about Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault, by Stephen Hicks, which is now available for free online in pdf form.

I had read it before, and this time I read a couple of chapters twice. It's not hard reading especially, as philosophy books go, but it's compactly argued.

Hicks talks a bit about the "theory laden perception" issue, but doesn't really provide any indication on how this belief might be countered. People expressed an interest in this issue, so next month we are discussing a book which takes this issue on, namely The Slightest Philosophy by Quee Nelson.

Animals perceive.
Do I have to believe
they do it based on theory?

Color me leery.

Do buzzing flies conceive in categories
as they see and pursue their fetid glories?

No comments: