Title
Carnap, Explication, and Social History
Publication Date
2017
Document Type
Article
Abstract
A. W. Carus champions Rudolf Carnap’s ideal of explication as a model for liberal political deliberation. Constructing a linguistic framework for discussing social problems, he argues, promotes the resolution of our disputes. To flesh out and assess this proposal, I examine debate about the social institutions of marriage and adoption. Against Carus, I argue that not all citizens would accept the pragmatic principles underlying Carnap’s ideal. Nevertheless, explication may facilitate inquiry in the social sciences and be used to create models that help us to understand past disputes. This latter application reveals explication’s potential for refining the social histories that inform contemporary political discourse.
Original Citation
Pearson, J. (2017). Carnap, Explication, and Social History. Social Theory and Practice, 43(4), 741-774. https://doi.org/10.5840/soctheorpract2017103021
Virtual Commons Citation
Pearson, James (2017). Carnap, Explication, and Social History. In Philosophy Faculty Publications. Paper 63.
Available at: https://vc.bridgew.edu/philosophy_fac/63