Epistemic relativism
Created | Updated Sep 21, 2005
What is epistemic relativism?
Epistemic relativism is a sort-of philosophical theory that has come to infect much of modern thought, especially in literary criticism circles. The basic ethos is simple: because cultures have many different and varied histories, we can deduce that there are no epistemological absolutes - by that we mean there are no things which we can say with absolute certainty exist. Advocates of epistemic relativism usually claim that science is just a social construct, and that it is just one of many different forms of knowing - cultural, religious and philosophical thoughts are often equally enlightening.
What about "postmodernism"?
The metaphorical bunk-buddy of epistemic relativism, postmodernism is a trend among many literary critics - you know, the stuffy academics who writing big clever books with big clever words and little discernible meaning - that, much like the childish scamp will, when accused of even the most benign offence, wriggle, mumble and always have an alibi always on the tip of their fingertips. It wasn't me, guv, honest. Many postmodernists, as with many poststructuralists, believe in epistemic relativism.
Why, pray tell, is reality a lie?
Because of the public's constant consumption of fictions, because science and other studies of reality are not 'romantic' enough. Obviously, that can not be true, as the hoax of Alan Sokal, or the Sokal Affair (as it came to be known), proves. Sokal, a left-wing physicist wrote a nonsensical paper admitting, in words too difficult to comprehend by mere man, that much of quantum physics was nonsense. It was published by the now-not-so-prestigious Social Text journal. And much fun was had by all, except the many people implicated in his bibliography - Irigaray, Virilio, Lyotard, Lacan and many more. But they kinda deserve it.
So, is science all just a 'social construct' and are we all just clones living inside a 'Matrix' style simulation?
Of course we are! But wait. That is besides the point. Even if we are living inside a glorified computer game, which there is no evidence for, that does not stop science being relevant. It is still important that we learn more about the world around us. The benefits that science has given us (or, if the Matrix is reality, seemed to have given us) is of a type unmatched. The benefits of science include reliable medicine, air travel, electricity, the computer you are reading this on and much more. If one does try to listen to epistemic relativists when they say it's only "one way of knowing", and religions and tribal beliefs are equally useful in making our world a better place, none have produced as much cool stuff as science.
And to leave on an appeal to authority (albeit, a good authority), Doulgas Adams would want us to focus on Cool Stuff and not waste time with the epistemic relativist charlatans that have infected academia.
