I first encountered the idea of knowledge as conversation in this essay by the late political philosopher Michael Oakeshott in his book of essays Rationalism in Politics [1962] - it was also published as a book in 1959. “In conversation, ‘facts’ appear only to be resolved once more into the possibilities from which they were made; ‘certainties’ are shown to be combustible, not by being brought in contact with other ‘certainties’ or with doubts, but by being kindled by the presence of ideas of another order; approximations are revealed between notions normally remote from one another. Thoughts of different species take wing and play round one another, responding to each other’s movements and provoking one another to fresh exertions.... If conversation is a key, if not the key, to knowledge, then this is an important reminder to religious, indeed Christian, people, of the responsibility we all share to be alert and responsible messengers of Shalom in all domains of life, since all domains are knowledge domains of some type - whether it be music, art, science, techonology, etc. Another slightly longer version of this excerpt is below. english.ttu.edu/kairos/2.1/features/brent/oakeshot.htm The following review essay on a book about Oakeshott might be helpful to those who want to pursue more about his work. faculty.cas.usf.edu/sturner5/Papers/PracticePapers/27WebEnglishHeideggerRvwNardin.pdf
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 00:15:34 +0000
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