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6. Poems
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Appendix A - Circular Geometry
What is Viewpoint Pluralism?
Viewpoint Pluralism is a philosophy about our knowledge of the world. More precisely, it is a philosophy about points of view. According to this philosophy, the more perspectives or points of view we have of something, the better our knowledge and understanding of it.
There is an intuitive idea behind Viewpoint Pluralism. Perhaps you have had the experience of looking at something from many different angles or perspectives in order to see or understand it better. This might be the case, for example, when you buy a new radio, television, or computer. Or, if you go shopping for a new car, you will probably want to see how the car looks from the front, from the back, and from the sides as well. Natural objects such as trees are often better appreciated when seen from many angles. And we can also usually enhance our view of something by getting a more close-up view of it.
Here are the principles of Viewpoint Pluralism:1. There are indefinitely many distinct points of view.
2. Our knowledge is proportional to the number and kind of points of view we take.
3. What points of view we ought to take depends on our purposes.
Practical Applications of Viewpoint Pluralism
According
to the philosophy of Viewpoint Pluralism, the more points of view or angles
you see something from, the better you understand it. Here are some
practical applications of Viewpoint Pluralism.
1. When you are studying a subject, find out what people from different
perspectives have to say about it. For example, if you are trying to lose
weight, pick up two or three different articles or books about the subject,
and see what you can learn from each. If you are interested in a consumer
product such as a car, try to understand the customer's perspective as well
as the manufacturer's view. If you can find a neutral third party, such as a
testing or evaluating agency, so much the better. And don't get all your
news from one source--each newsgathering organization has its own
perspective.
2. Incorporate new experiences into your own life. New experiences
increase our knowledge and broaden our horizons by giving us new points of
view. New experiences provide enjoyment and pleasure we would not otherwise
have, and enhance our mental skills. Here are some examples of new
experiences worth trying:
- Have
lunch or dinner at a new restaurant you haven't tried, or one offering a
kind of food you've never had.
- Take
a new route to or from work.
- When
shopping, select a new fruit, meat, or other food you have never had
before to have the experience of eating it. Incorporate this idea into
your regular shopping trips.
- Have
a new experience every day.
3. Start noticing differences in shades of color and in shades of experience. There are many areas of experience in which we use a single word to describe a whole range of different phenomena. For example, there are many different shades of the color green, yet we use the same word 'green' to refer to all of them. This serves a purpose, of course, but it also may make us unaware of shades of color. Spring is a great time to be aware of the different shades of green, with trees and plants coming back to life.
There are many varieties in other shades of color too, such as blue and red. When you look at a color, try to be aware not only of the color, but also of the shade. Being aware of a name for the shade, such as "lime green" or "lemon yellow," will fix it better in your mind.
There are "shades of experience" in other areas besides color. Another example is taste. There are many different tastes corresponding to the words "sweet" and "sour." By being aware of these different shades of experience, and thinking of different words to distinguish them, you will enrich your own experience and also improve your memory. You will become "experience-rich."
Of course, not all new experiences are good, and sometimes there are strong reasons not to have a particular new experience. Some new experiences are dangerous, while some are simply undesirable. The "new experience" idea can be summed up as follows:
Seek out new experiences for their own sake, unless there is a stronger reason not to have a particular new experience.