Radical Constructivism of Knowledge

Description

Ulrich Mohrhoff:

"The constructivism of Jean Piaget was developed by Ernst von Glasersfeld into the epistemology known as “radical constructivism.” Knowledge, according to this epistemology, is not passively received, nor can it be transmitted. It is actively built up by the cognizing subject. Cognition serves the individual’s organization of her experiential world, not the discovery of an objective ontological reality. Although the social environment constrains the construction of knowledge, radical constructivism is an individualistic epistemology, which entails that agreement cannot be forced or bought but must grow from conviction. It comes as a wholesome corrective to both scientific totalitarianism and religious dogmatism. For those who believe that Truth is mystically accessible but cannot be put into words, it would seem to be the epistemology of choice."

(https://antimatters2.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/2-1-17-25_revision1.pdf)

Characteristics

"Radical constructivism is based on two fundamental insights:

1 Knowledge is not passively received but is actively built up by the cognizing subject.

2 The function of cognition is adaptive, and serves the subject’s organization of her experiential world, not the discovery of an objective ontological reality.

The second proposition maintains that ontological knowledge — knowledge about an objective reality existing independently of all subjects — is based on preferred belief, and as such is not within the scope of cognition. The possible existence of such an objective reality is not denied; what is asserted is that it is impossible in principle to obtain cognitive knowledge of such an entity.

We need to distinguish between our experiential world — the totality of our experiences: our individual perceptions and reflections — and the knowledge that we construct on the basis of our experiences. This knowledge can be of the cognitive kind, or it can be non-cognitive. Cognitive knowledge is based on reasoning, using rules and procedures that can be agreed on and communicated. Non-cognitive knowledge is of the “what it’s like” kind — for instance, what listening to a particular piece of music feels like to me — and cannot be communicated.

Whereas this conception of knowledge is inherently individualistic — each person confronts her own experiential world and constructs her knowledge of the world from that — the construction of knowledge is always done in a social environment, which constrains the learning process. Yet radical constructivism is not a sociological theory of knowledge. Social construction is only one aspect of epistemic construction: all mental tools are constructed, including those which are private to a single person, though many structures have an additional social input."

(https://antimatters2.files.wordpress.com/2018/04/2-1-17-25_revision1.pdf)