Ideology vs. Science vs. Sciencism vs. Superman vs. ...

Mr P.A. Van Heusden pvanheus at hgmp.mrc.ac.uk
Thu Nov 4 01:28:29 PST 1999


On Wed, 3 Nov 1999, Carrol Cox wrote:


> Lisa & Ian Murray wrote:
>
> > Which makes an excellent case for an irreducible methodological pluralism.
> > The dialectical approach works best at the organism/environment interface;
> > reductionism works best at the molecular scale and anarchic pluralism works
> > on the ecosystem scale.
>
> I think we have either a non-sequitur or a triviality here. Using one
> method to saw firewood, another to cut bread, and a third to
> paint doors does not create a methodological pluralism. Different
> tasks, different methods.

Ok, but, continuing this analogy, what allows one to know which tool to use?

And where do the tools come from?

Peter -- Peter van Heusden : pvanheus at hgmp.mrc.ac.uk : PGP key available Criticism has torn up the imaginary flowers from the chain not so that man shall wear the unadorned, bleak chain but so that he will shake off the chain and pluck the living flower. - Karl Marx

NOTE: I do not speak for the HGMP or the MRC.



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