ONE ASPECT OF THIS WHOLE
PROGRAM FOR DISCOVERING
REALITY WITH A CAPITAL R,
TRUTH WITH AN UPPER CASE T,
AND THE REST-- I THINK
ONE ASPECT OF THIS
IS THE BELIEF THAT
IN OUR INQUIRIES
INTO THE NATURE OF
THE WORLD, THERE'S
ONLY ONE KIND OF METHOD
WHICH IS TO BE USED.
IN FACT, TO THIS
DAY, MANY PEOPLE
TALK ABOUT THE SCIENTIFIC
METHOD, TAKING IT FOR GRANTED
THAT THERE IS ONE
AND ONLY ONE METHOD
IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY USING
THE DEFINITE ARTICLE, "THE."
I MEAN, CARRYING RORTY'S
ARGUMENT FURTHER-- OR CARRYING
RORTY'S WAY OF EXPRESSING
THIS FURTHER-- I'D
BE INCLINED TO
SAY THAT THERE ARE
AS MANY DIFFERENT SCIENTIFIC
METHODS AS THERE ARE SCIENCES.
IN FACT, IN MANY WAYS, EVEN MORE
SCIENTIFIC METHODS THAN THERE
ARE SCIENCES, BECAUSE
I DON'T BELIEVE
THAT ANY ONE NATURAL
SCIENCE EMPLOYEES ONE
AND ONLY ONE METHOD.
SO THAT AGAIN, THE
PLATO/ARISTOTLE CONTRAST,
WHICH SHOWS UP AGAIN AND AGAIN
IN THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY,
SHOWS ITSELF ONCE AGAIN HERE.
THE QUESTION IS, ARE OUR
SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES
ULTIMATELY DIRECTED
TOWARDS PRODUCING
A SINGLE GREAT, PYRAMIDAL
SYSTEM IN WHICH,
FROM CERTAIN FUNDAMENTAL
THEORETICAL AXIOMS,
WE CAN DEVELOP ALL THE
PARTICULAR LITTLE T
TRUTHS THAT WE NEED TO
UNDERSTAND AND TO EXPLAIN
ABOUT THE WORLD OF NATURE?
OR IS SCIENCE GOING TO BE A
SET OF COEXISTING DISCIPLINES
IN EACH OF WHICH
DIFFERENT METHODS ARE USED
TO ELUCIDATE DIFFERENT
KINDS OF PROBLEMS
AND TO SUPPORT DIFFERENT
KINDS OF PRACTICAL ACTIVITIES?
HAVING, IN MY
YOUNGER DAYS, SHARED
THE PHILOSOPHICAL ATTRACTION
TO THE BIG PYRAMIDAL VIEW,
I'M INCREASINGLY
IMPRESSED BY THE NEED
TO SET IT ASIDE IN FAVOR OF
A MORE PRAGMATIC AND A MORE
MULTIPLE OR MORE MULTIFARIOUS
VIEW OF THE WAYS IN WHICH
DIFFERENT METHODS ENTER INTO
OUR SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS
AND ARE PUT TO WORK IN
ORDER TO MAKE PROCESSES
OF DIFFERENT KINDS
INTELLIGIBLE OR MANAGEABLE
FOR PEOPLE IN THEIR
OWN DIFFERENT WAYS.
