KARL JASPERS
FORUM
TA106 (Müller)
Response 20 (to C48, Patlavskiy)
REQUEST FOR
CLARIFICATION
by Herbert FJ Müller
15 September 2009, posted 26 September 2009
[1]
I have some difficulty understanding your point of view, especially since you
have stated that you think metaphysics and ontology are not needed. Therefore I would appreciate clarification
of what you propose. You write :
[SP] <8> I have never stated that "the noumena are in the mind” "The meta-theory, I
elaborate, presumes that there are two realities: Noumenal Reality and Phenomenal Reality (but not only one
reality, as constructivism holds). The first one is cognitively independent
(or, mind-independent) and, thereby, existent objectively. The second one is
given in perception to the subject of cognitive activity, and, thereby, is
subjective. The task of Science is to make Phenomenal Reality as closely
approaching Noumenal Reality
as possible."
[2]
<11> When the system{noumenon} collapses (say, during the
process of cognition), then the noumenon transforms into phenomenon. In other words, the phenomenon -- it is a
partial knowledge (or, limited information) about the noumenon. Moreover, when I formalize Noumenal Reality as the IIS{Noumenal Reality}, I presume that it must obey the universal
law of IIS-development. In other words, whatever Noumenal Reality might be, the IIS{Noumenal Reality} must obey the same natural law as the
IIS{atom}, the IIS{living cell), the IIS{human}, etc.
[3]
These statements clearly promote the mind-independent reality idea of traditional metaphysics and ontology, which I
think is impossible. In particular, ‘whatever
Noumenal Reality
might be’ is a speculation inside your mind about an impossible
mind-independent metaphysical reality.
[4]
For this reason I would still like to ask you to respond to my earlier question
:
‘if reality is in fact
mind-independent, how can anyone think and write about it ? Either you know or speculate about it,
and then it is in your mind and not mind-independent; or it is not in your mind, and you
don't know about it, and then you cannot think about it’.
---------------------------------------------------
Herbert FJ Müller
email
<Herbert.muller@mcgill.ca>