So what's the point?
1) Signs are arbitrary
2) Signs can be manipulated independent of the object
of the user
3) Signs are not reality, only our current understanding
of reality
4) Alternate interpretations of reality are not only
possible, but inevitable
This leads us to the notion that the world of experience we claim to be true, is NOT. It is in fact nothing more than a plausible explanation- a meaningful hypothesis. An example of this is found in our understanding of astronomy. Until recently, we lived in a solar system with only 8 planets. Really! Somewhere shortly after 1900, a 9th planet was postulated. However, this was a theoretical position. That is, no one had ever seen a 9th planet, but by studying the orbits of other planets, it was determined that a 9th must exist. This is because there were certain irregularities noted in the orbits of other planets that could only be explained by the gravitational pull of a new and unknown planet. Sure enough, in the late 1920's, an astronomer working with a homemade telescope in his backyard "found" Pluto. Suddenly we lived in a world with 9 planets. But, in early 1997 astronomers began discussing the existence of a 10th, and possible more planets. Currently, there is not consensus on whether these new objects in the Kyber Belt are planets or some other detritis. But, the point is well made- we live in a reality that is actually a hypothesis of the world- not a replication of it.
If reality is a hypothesis, then
is it possible that there may be more than one valid hypothesis and thus
more than one reality? Of course. This class is an excellent
case study. We have looked at a number of different ways of explaining
human learning. Each is valid in that each has supporting research
and rigorous study to suggest that it is correct. But, they cannot
all be correct. That is, if each re-presents the world, than they
cannot all be correct because they re-present different ideas. But
if each is a hypothesis, a model or metaphor, than each may be equally
valid.
