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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Points of View and Relativism

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This chapter defines the central concept of this book, the point of view. The development of viewpoint relativism is largely based on this concept. A point of view is defined as choosing a certain aspect of its object to represent it. In principle, points of view are subjective and they are anchored to the internal cognitive models of a person. But points of view can also be objectified linguistically and brought out to be publicly examined. Points of view are not permanent, but can be changed and developed, and even exchanged in certain cases. Points of view are not true or untrue as such, but the maps that are acquired through their adoption are more or less true. We can compare objectified points of view, which allows us to avoid the incommensurability often connected with perspectives and conceptual frameworks. As examples of points of view, I will examine Thomas Nagel’s anthropocentric cosmology and Karl Marx’s theory of dialectic contradictions. I define viewpoint relativism as the hypothesis of the viewpoint-dependency of epistemic questions; it is a testable theory. Finally, I will discuss the critique and defence of relativism at the end of the chapter, and reject the claim that relativism cannot be rationally defended.