logo
episode-header-image
May 2022
35m 43s

Ep 116: Objective Knowledge

Brett Hall
About this episode

This is my succinct explanation of "Objective Knowledge" - the concept and not the book of the same name by Karl Popper. However that book of course informs this entire thesis of what Objective Knowledge is. My view of objective knowledge is augmented by more recent advances in epistemology, philosophy and physics by David Deutsch as expressed largely in "The Beginning of Infinity" but also with some reference to "Constructor Theory". I will place more precise time stamps on this episode later but for now there exist roughly 4 parts to this episode:

1. Objectivity vs Subjectivity

2. Objective Knowledge

3. Other ideas about epistemology

4. Conclusions.

 

This episode not only explains "objective knowledge" from the so-called "Popperian" or "Critical Rationalist" perspective in the 21st century but also serves to refute the dominant other competing epistemological notions. In the order I deal with them using quotations from their own proponents and "primary sources" they are: Bayesian Epistemology (as endorsed by other "rationalists" and as explained in places like www.lesswrong.com) and "Objectivist Epistemology" (as first explained by Ayn Rand and promoted by, among others, the Ayn Rand Institute and self-identified "objectivists"). I show how both of these alternatives views of epistemology are not "objective" in two senses. And those two senses of objective are the criteria for objective and are only met by the Popperian framework.

Up next
Nov 12
The Farthest Reaches - Audiobook
The Farthest Reaches is a book about "Explanatory Universality". Explanatory Universality is a concept introduced by physicist and philosopher David Deutsch in his book "The Beginning of Infinity". Links, as mentioned in the audiobook can be found in the ebook available for free ... Show More
4h 19m
Oct 17
Ep 249: The Farthest Reaches Part 4 and Conclusion
Chapters and Timestamps 00:06 Chapter 13: Explanatory Universality, Hangups and Sexuality 08:07 Chapter 14: The Woke Left and the Woke Right 15:38 Chapter 15: Universality and Optimism 25:04 Chapter 16: Universality and Artificial Intelligences 35:54 Chapter 17: Universality, Fre ... Show More
1h 12m
Oct 13
Ep 248: AI and Philosophy of Science
This is the extended "director's cut" of a talk delivered for "RatFest 2025" (next year to be "Conjecture Con"). This also serves as a supplement to my "Doom Debates" interview which can be found here: https://youtu.be/koubXR0YL4A?si=483M6SPOKwbQYmzb It is simply assumed some ver ... Show More
1h 25m
Recommended Episodes
May 2015
Episode #057 ... Kant pt. 2 - The Actual Introduction
On this episode of the podcast we continue our discussion of Kant, this time focusing on his contributions to the debate between rationalism and empiricism . We begin by reviewing the major points of contention between the rationalists and empiricists regarding how we arrive at k ... Show More
23m 6s
Aug 2021
Ep. 276: Hegel on Perception (Part One)
On The Phenomenology of Spirit (1807), ch. 1 "Sense Certainty" and ch. 2 "Perception." We walk through the first step in considering Hegel's dialectical analysis of theories of knowledge. Sense-certainty claims that we have direct access to sensory particulars which can act as fo ... Show More
58m 6s
Sep 2022
Self-Knowledge
<p>Know thyself, the inscription at the shrine of Delphi reads. But can we truly know ourselves, like the Ancient Greeks believed? In episode 61 of Overthink, Ellie and David explore the concept of self-knowledge from looking inside ourselves to the reflection we put out into the ... Show More
59m 37s
Jun 2024
#482 | Ayn Rand & The Philosophy of Objectivism
<p><strong>⚡️⚡️⚡️  Black Friday Sale ⚡️⚡️⚡️</strong></p><p><strong>Special link: </strong><a href="https://bit.ly/BlackFridayELFCM25">https://bit.ly/BlackFridayELFCM25</a></p><p>💰  Save 20% AND unlock €500 in English-learning challenges<br>⏳  Limited availability<br>⏱  Ends 23:5 ... Show More
21m 7s
Jul 2015
Episode #063 ... Kant pt. 8 - Limits of Knowledge
On this episode of the podcast, we discuss Kant’s views on the limits of human knowledge. First, we ask ourselves why we seek knowledge at all and whether there will ever be an endpoint to our search for it. Next, we discuss our human experience of the world in contrast to the wo ... Show More
28m 20s
Feb 2024
Ep. 335: Aristotle on Fundamental Explanations (Part One)
On Aristotle's Metaphysics, book 1 (aka Alpha) (ca. 340 BCE). What constitutes a basic explanation of the universe? We talk about how mere practical knowledge of how things in fact work is not enough; there's greater wisdom in knowing the theoretical underpinnings. Various philos ... Show More
46m 29s
Mar 2024
87: Science and Wisdom in Battle
<p>Today we examine an 1875 Fragment, entitled &quot;Science and Wisdom in Battle&quot;. Not only does this fragment contain one of my favorite quotations of Nietzsche&#39;s, it represents his continual grappling with the meaning of Ancient Greek culture. In particular, we discus ... Show More
1h 25m
May 2023
What is Knowledge?
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate What is knowledge? What distinguishes sacred knowledge? What is metafiqh? Epistemology is a branch of philosophy that deals with the theory of knowledge. Unique and brilliant in its approach, Islamic tradition has its own epis ... Show More
9m 4s
Jan 2024
The limits of knowledge | Rupert Sheldrake, Suchitra Sebastian, Tommy Curry
<p>Have we entered a post-knowledge era? Or was the idea that we can attain knowledge misleading in the first place? </p><p>Looking for a link we mentioned? Find it here:&nbsp;<a href="https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://link ... Show More
41m 42s