Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

II. Perspectives
may have inherited from parents or arrived
we
unintentionally. When differences of belief and
at
are widespread, what makes you trust
opinion
current perspective? How did you arrive atit?
your
sees a bird in the garden and believes it’s a
Frank
Standing beside him, Gita sees the same bird,
nch.
she’s condent it’s a sparrow. What response
but
we expect from Frank and Gita?
should
useful attitude to cultivate is to think of
A
as generally contestable. Section IV
beliefs
how to engage with abhorrent beliefs,
considers
the resulting judgment of the people who
and
approaches should we take when
What
by disagreement? Consider the
confronted
anecdote, by Klemens Kappel, professor
following
philosophy at the University of Copenhagen.
of
both Frank and Gita become less confident in
If
judgment, the result is a conciliatory response
their
allows for learning and change, a characteristic
that
intellectual humility. When spotting birds in
of
garden, it is relatively easy for us to be openminded
the
like this: our identities and wellbeing
not at stake. Disagreements that extend into
are
and identity are in a different category.
politics
believes that a particular homeopathic treatment
Amy
cure her common fever … Amy believes that there
will
solid evidence for her claim … as well as testimony
is
got from experienced homeopaths whom she
she
Ben believes that any medical intervention
trusts.
be tested in randomised controlled studies,
should
that no sound inferences are to be drawn from
and
principles, since they are shown to be
homeopathic
by the principles of physics and chemistry…
false
understands all this, but thinks that it merely
Amy
Ben’s naturalistic perspective on human
reects
which she rejects. There is more to human
nature,
(and their diseases) than can be accurately
beings
in Western scientic medicine, which relies
captured
discuss reductionist approaches in depth in
We
7. Chapter
you were Ben or Amy, what would you do? What
If
have here is a deep disagreement, in which
we
parties cannot change their opinion without
both
changing the structure of their reasoning, their
also
views and value systems. Typically Ben
world
Amy agree to disagree, but not always. And
and
to disagree is not an option that you can
agreeing
for, or put into policy. When we encounter
vote
opinions and beliefs that oppose
perspectives,
own, we must balance a tension between
our
in our knowledge and humility about
confidence
limitations. This is easier said than done.
its
you have a deeply held belief that you
Do
might be flawed? Would you offer this
accept
up for discussion and open yourself to
opinion
other perspectives on the issue?
understanding
terms: Reddit Change
Search
view my
is an online community on
There
/r/changemyview, dedicated precisely
reddit,
this type of exchange of views. Follow the
to
to explore some of the top discussions.
link
could post your own view on something
You
see if any of the 900,000 members
and
what the issue looks like from their
share
Regardless of whether you decide
perspective.
(a) What is the value of accepting the
1.
of being wrong?
possibility
(b) Do you lose something in doing so?
How can you cultivate a capacity for
2.
kind of dialogue among multiple
the
perspectives that we see on
contradictory
/r/changemyview?
To what extent can words, especially the
3.
of anonymous strangers, change
words
1
(Kappel 2018)
For discussion
harbourthem.
Change my view
What would it take to change your mind?
Consider another anecdote, also from Kappel.
to do this, consider the following questions.
on reductionist and materialist approaches.
our core beliefs and deeply held opinions?
(Kappel 2018)
10