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You doubt it, yet you are too, if I may, one living proof of it :)

Of course you can say our basis for reasoning are subjective (different from a person to the other), relative (depending on the point of view). Humans are subjective by definition, and the universe is infinitely complex and nuanced, with an infinite number of dimensions.
When you say that perfect rationality is an utopia, I'll add: of course it is, all ideals are.
No one could objectively and reasonably contradict you on any of these points - your reasoning is flawless :)

I replied to this kind of questions on the first Ideology blog in two ways:
- one: rational pragmatism is not about some absolute, scientifical determination of the world; I believe that the "fuzzy" stuff (only guessed to be there, like the black matter - or the spirituality!) is at least as important as the directly observable and measurable stuff; we have probably little chance to comprehend the universe with a degree of exhaustivity comparable to that of God's :)
Rational pragmatism is not a philosophy, doesn't pretend to explain the world, it is about the approach to practical issues - reduce unfair inequalities, improve living standards, protect the planet, scientifical progress, peace etc.
Start up without assumptions or made-up truths; approach issues with an open mind, and with objectivity and fairness as a goal. Search the optimal solutions taking into account all sides and factors. They won't be perfect, but they will likely be the best.

- the second answer:
this kind of criticism is quite general and belongs to the philosophical sphere; I'm speaking real-life politics here: in practice, we can actually find a lot more precise answers to problems than one might suspect. Ideologists tend to philosophise and idealise; real life is much more down to earth. In a way, they're doing themselves a pleasure by basking in those fine, abstract theories (and mess up everybody else's life). The real world is much more prosaic and issues often have much simpler solutions than we might suspect while philosophising.

A more indirect answer to your question is my brief exchange with melo at the very beginning of this thread.

I'll also point out that I merely intended to bring to attention a phenomenon already on the way. More and more feminists today speak about pragmatism and refuse male vilification. One week does not pass without hearing a politician (of any colour) emphasizing a will to look for the best solution, rather than promote some ideology. I felt this is rather striking, hence these two blogs about the death of ideology.

Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! (Martin Luther King)

by ValentinD (walentijn arobase free spot frança) on Mon Dec 1st, 2008 at 02:05:04 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Male vilification hasn't been a mainstream feminist position since before I was born...

And as an aside, I thought we'd agreed that "pragmaticist" sloganeering did not necessarily correspond to actual pragmatic policy?

- Jake

If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Mon Dec 1st, 2008 at 02:49:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You are THAT young?!? Oh boy...
:)

Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! (Martin Luther King)
by ValentinD (walentijn arobase free spot frança) on Mon Dec 1st, 2008 at 03:43:12 PM EST
[ Parent ]
He's blogging from the womb.

Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
by poemless on Mon Dec 1st, 2008 at 03:44:28 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You doubt it, yet you are too, if I may, one living proof of it :)

I don't refer to rational Reason.

Start up without assumptions or made-up truths

It all begins with very small things. Maybe a word said, the tone of a voice, will trigger a reaction in us that we hadn't planned and that we cannot control. Maybe the voice sounded so much like aunt Martha or you heard that word from your teacher when you didn't do your homework.

You will feel free from assumptions and above made-up truths but social conditioning, experience are often stronger than our good will. Rational Reason is quite abstract, cold and scientific. You had mentioned Newton's laws, which is why I don't subscribe to being a reasonable rationalist or a rational reasonalist.

I'm speaking real-life politics here: in practice, we can actually find a lot more precise answers to problems than one might suspect.

The real world is much more prosaic and issues often have much simpler solutions than we might suspect

The problem is that precise answers to problems and simple solutions rarely allow us to conclude that policy makers were led by rational Reason.

by Lily (put - lilyalmond - here <a> yahaah.france) on Mon Dec 1st, 2008 at 05:28:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]
So we're back to how much social conditioning there is, and how much we are masters of ourselves, or tiny wheels in the great mechanism.
I've seen too many people thinking with their own mind, critical of their background or environment, to doubt the existence of free will and the effectiveness of critical thinking.

Einstein's relativity is political philosophy. Newton's Laws are politics applied to every day life; the former is becoming more like a historical phenomenology of politics, while the latter is becoming independent and intelligent enough to make a difference.

Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! (Martin Luther King)

by ValentinD (walentijn arobase free spot frança) on Mon Dec 1st, 2008 at 09:10:13 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that I'm a physicist by training, I always have been skeptical of analogies between physical models and political life. That being said, even if one accepts such analogies in general, this particular analogy is rather curious. Are you seriously contending that special and general relativity are any more obscure, anachronistic or inapplicable to everyday life than Newton's laws?

- Jake

If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Tue Dec 2nd, 2008 at 05:16:36 AM EST
[ Parent ]
You're completely mistaking the analogy. It was rather about the degree of relevance to every day life.

Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! (Martin Luther King)
by ValentinD (walentijn arobase free spot frança) on Tue Dec 2nd, 2008 at 03:26:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Because people obviously use Newton's laws in their everyday life, more than they use GenRel...

- Jake

If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Tue Dec 2nd, 2008 at 03:35:30 PM EST
[ Parent ]
That is not what I said. Simplifying isn't helpful in any way.

Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last! (Martin Luther King)
by ValentinD (walentijn arobase free spot frança) on Tue Dec 2nd, 2008 at 04:32:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Then I utterly fail to understand your analogy.

Maybe I'm just stupid, but could you bend it in neon for me?

- Jake

If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.

by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Tue Dec 2nd, 2008 at 04:53:33 PM EST
[ Parent ]
we have probably little chance to comprehend the universe with a degree of exhaustivity comparable to that of God's :)

What, you're not smarter than a unicorn?
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Mon Dec 1st, 2008 at 05:31:20 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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