Re: [UUPoly-L] Epistemology and Polyamory

[WABaldwin@aol.com]

I don't see anything wrong with personal knowledge and experience.  
 
You need evidence to back up your theory -- personal knowledge and  
experience *is* evidence.
 
And a rational theory is nothing by itself, if it has no connection to  
observed reality.
 
Bill  
 
In a message dated 9/28/2008 3:34:57 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,  
desmondravenstone@yahoo.com writes:


---  On Sun, 9/28/08, CWLee <cwlee@post.harvard.edu> wrote:

>>  However, I believe the topic has moved far beyond poly issues and   
experiences.

Please permit me to attempt to make it relevant.

I  believe the larger issue here is how we can know or claim something to be 
true  -- in a word, epistemology.

My position is largely one of a pragmatic  rational empiricism -- when you 
state a proposition, and want to persuade  others why they should accept it, you 
need to present evidence.

The  argument I've heard on the other side sounds to me more like epistemic  
relativism -- that there's no standard for determining or persuading others  
that a proposition is true; personal experience and sincere belief are just as  
valid as anything else.

Now, let's say that you are approached by  someone who argues that polyamory 
is unethical, even destructive to  society.  Imagine how each side would 
respond:

The first would not  only demand evidence to support the anti-poly person's 
claim, but produce  evidence and logic that polyamory can and does work for a 
significant minority  of people, and how social and legal efforts to supress 
plural relationships  actually does more harm than good.

The second would be caught in a  quandary -- either appeal to personal 
experience and feelings, accuse the  other person of being dogmatic, or simply say 
"your truth is not my truth" and  walk away.

Aside from the practical issue of which approach would be  more persuasive, 
whether to the anti-poly person or an observer who is not  sure of either side, 
there is also the question of which more adequately  presents the reality and 
experience of poly people in general.  Plus, as  Unitarian Universalists, 
which is more consistent with both our principles and  the sources which inspire 
us.

Desmond  Ravenstone

********************

http://www.myspace.com/desmond_ravenstone





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