How We Know: Epistemology on an Objectivist Foundation by Harry Binswanger
What is knowledge? How is it acquired? How are claims to knowledge to be validated? Can man achieve rational certainty, or is he doomed to perpetual doubt?
"How We Know" presents an integrated set of answers to these and related questions, based on Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy, including her unique theory
of concepts.
Rejecting the false alternative of mysticism vs. skepticism, Harry Binswanger provides an uncompromising defense of reason, logic, and objectivity. Using vivid examples, he traces the hierarchical development of knowledge, from its base in sensory perception, to concept-formation, to logical inference, to its culmination in the principles of science and philosophy.
"How We Know" explains how following methods of cognition based on the facts of reality and on the nature of our cognitive equipment makes it possible to achieve rational certainty, no matter how abstract the issue.
Excerpts from the first five chapters here:
http://www.how-we-know.com/Excerpts-list...
"How We Know" presents an integrated set of answers to these and related questions, based on Ayn Rand's Objectivist philosophy, including her unique theory
of concepts.
Rejecting the false alternative of mysticism vs. skepticism, Harry Binswanger provides an uncompromising defense of reason, logic, and objectivity. Using vivid examples, he traces the hierarchical development of knowledge, from its base in sensory perception, to concept-formation, to logical inference, to its culmination in the principles of science and philosophy.
"How We Know" explains how following methods of cognition based on the facts of reality and on the nature of our cognitive equipment makes it possible to achieve rational certainty, no matter how abstract the issue.
Excerpts from the first five chapters here:
http://www.how-we-know.com/Excerpts-list...
http://www.hblist.com/lecs/outline.htm
The chapter rubrics are
Chapter 1: Foundational Issues
Chapter 2: Perception
Chapter 3: Concept-formation
Chapter 4: Abstraction from Abstraction
Chapter 5: Norms for Cognition
Chapter 6: Conceptual Knowledge
Chapter 7: Fundamentality
Chapter 8: Free Will
How is Binswanger distinguishing "function" from "overall function"?
What is an "overall function"?
That knowledge can be expressed in the form of a proposition in no way means that the function of a proposition is to advance knowledge.
PROPOSITION:
Every prime number is green.
Does this function to advance our knowledge? No. It's just nonsense. But it's still a proposition.
PROPOSITION:
No odd number is an odd number.
Does this advance our knowledge? No. It's a blatant contradiction. But it's still a proposition.
What about,
PROPOSITION:
"This pudding is delicious!"
An advance of knowledge? No. An expression of gustatory satisfaction.
What about,
PROPOSITION:
"You look HOT, babe!"
An advance of knowledge? No. An amateur attempt to score a little action. But it's still a proposition (in more ways than one, perhaps).
A proposition is a purely formal construction in logic: it doesn't have to be true; it doesn't have to correspond to reality; it doesn't even have to be intelligible. It just has to have the correct form.
It has to have 2 terms — a logical subject that the proposition is about — and a logical predicate — which is what we affirm or deny of the subject.
The affirmation or denial of the predicate in relation to the subject is expressed linguistically by the simple linking verb "is" or "is not", the logical name for the linking form is "copula."
That's it.
Subject Term - Copula (affirming or denying) - Predicate Term
Good grief, Binswanger, advancing knowledge has nothing to do with anything here.