Review  Dewey and social focus –Political and educational involvement  Reforms failed—hard to implement w/o good teachers  Public quarrel with Bertrand Russell –Stops talking about ‘truth’  Warranted assertability and 可  Coherence theory of truth with success for the whole body of beliefs –Inner light (a priori) method plus success test –Between James and Peirce

Social Norms of Assertion  Only if “know” – justified by language (concept) norms  Assumption of shared information gathering –Need to trust and transmit  Social intelligence—norm system effect –Rejects radical individualism in epistemology  Picture theory of belief and language –Fit for China and reception in Beijing

Kant and Darwin mix  Plus English Utilitarianism –World structured by social mind (language)  Survival of fittest and most fulfilling (utility)  Theory of inquiry –Natural organic method refined in social practice  Habit, frustration, observation activity, hypothesis –Test and return to habit (if successful)  Babies in lab-coats –Is science is a cultural peculiarity  Logic and inference—Chinese science?

Practical Doubt  Criticism of Descartes –Not general total doubt  No recovery  Actual doubt resolved by inquiry –Relying on other beliefs—may be doubted later  Science model—conservative and efficient –System for storing, retrieving, information –All can access it without domination  Apply it by its own principles  Social intelligence

Questions Review next week You bring questions Day off?

Social Emphasis  Interest in Marxism, China –Shared social focus –American "socialist"  Critical of Marxism but shared view of human social nature  Main divergence: radical v ameliorative –Violent v liberal—like Neurath's boat

"Classical Liberalism"  Conservative individualism  Shallow psychology of human nature –Atomistic, egoistic, base hedonistic, amoral individuals (psychological egoist) –Needing law to motivate moral behavior  Self-fulfilling prophecy –Familiar examples in business and love –American character v. Chinese character:  Our nature is shaped by culture and institutions

Classical Focus Wrong  Not question of individual v society –Question is how to blend nature & culture  How to construct a culture given that it will be a self- fulfilling prophecy  New liberalism –Way to justify liberty is that its institutions create free people  Self-critical, responsible, autonomous –Not something demanded by metaphysically free individuals

Democracy  Face to face discussion creates communal humans –Shared views  Mutual respect  Equality  Concern for community  Advocate democracy –To create self ‑ governing, self ‑ perfecting beings  Not because majority is right or wise

Justification  Majoritarian fallacy –Have a right to decide ≠ are right –But prediction markets and “wisdom of crowds”  A human right grounded in human nature? –Classical atomistic individual argument  Goal of combined shared social intelligence –Each knows her own interest best  Not perfectly but better than any authority  Combine interests in a decision procedure –Involve all computing units in the problem

Real Problems for Liberalism  Non ‑ political/cultural factors inhibit moral growth –Democracy as empty election ritual –Even when politically free –Manipulative "free" institutions  Television, domination of media, TV evangalists  Money and power to persuade  Economic determinism –Songs and arts –Confucius on 禮 li ritual and music

Manipulation  Television and advertising create artificial needs –Cars, fashions, perfumes, colognes, style  Hong Kong specialty –Related to songs and natural impulse –Cf. Laozi and social desires  Education for jobs –Free form of slavery –Sensationalist slaves  Educational system ‑‑ teaches docility  Free-market culture makes us less free

Solution  Political involvement –People take real power over themselves  Goal of democracy—responsibility to be informed –Set up institutions with that goal  Education systems, rule of law, rights, democracy  Achieve more success (Radical Westernizers in China)  Social intelligence –Value knowledge is like scientific knowledge –Social, coherent and experimental—get and like –Criticize some only—no systematic value doubt

Philosophy for All  Reason in morals and in science –Social shared intelligence  We cannot choose not to philosophize –We choose do it well... –Or badly