Unbuilding It

Thinking about progress and knowledge and, you guessed it, relativism.

I know you think it is my favorite subject and you are right.

In Pinker’s latest book Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress he says

“The supernova of knowledge continuously redefines what it means to be human, our understanding of who we are, where we came from, how the world works, and what matters in life depends on partaking of the vast and ever-expanding store of knowledge."

Redefines? Strong word.

If humans are redefined by knowledge, changed, and continuously, then how can knowledge be absolute or objective in any sense?

Knowledge needs humans as much as humans need knowledge. If you don’t believe me, ask your pet how much they care about knowledge.

Knowledge doesn’t even exist without humans.

Therefore, it is relative, “continuously redefined”.

You might think 2+2=4 is eternal and a priori but it isn’t. If you don’t believe me, just ask your pet. You won’t get an answer because humans didn’t discover 2+2=4, they invented it. Superimposed it on the world.

And math is a nice thing don’t get me wrong.

But if it can’t be built it can be unbuilt. Just ask Robert Deniro in The Score (2001)

…if somebody built it, somebody can unbuild it.

See? Told ya.

All I’m saying is that knowledge and it’s symbiosis with us kooky humans necessitates its relativistic nature.

But don’t panic.

People worry it is all a house of cards if relativism is true.

But here’s the thing: it IS a house of cards and it always has been a house of cards and always will be a house of cards.

And look what we’ve done with that house of cards.

Pinker’s whole point in the book is about the progress we’ve made and are making.

But remember, at one point physics couldn’t explain how a bumblebee could fly.

KNOWLEDGE IS RELATIVE!

Why am I yelling?

What we’ve done is pretty impressive.

And we’ve done it with relativism being the case.

Anyone could accomplish feats if objectivity were the case; it’d be like getting a cab when you are white. Easy.

No no, the far more impressive accomplishment is getting stuff done when the rules aren’t fixed, when truth depends on this and on that and when this and that changes at the drop of a hat.

Or the drop of an apple.  Newtonian physics under attack!

So just relax and take it easy.

Would you just take it easy.