Nicholas Davey (University of Dundee): Towards A Community of the Plural: Philosophical Pluralism, Hermeneutics and Practice.

ABSTRACT

It would be difficult to deny the pressing relevance of the questions, “What is pluralism?” and, “How is pluralism to be thought?” Tellingly, the notable political analyst Simon Jenkins of The Guardian wrote recently of the Syrian situation, that the “differences between Sunni and Shia are intractable” for (and this for our purposes was the key remark) “the acceptance of pluralism relativises truth.”[1] The comment betrays a common line of reasoning: to acknowledge a pluralism of values, norms and/or epistemic norms leads inexorably to relativism and nihilism. Although it is flattering for philosophy that one of its concepts should gain such notoriety, that alone should perhaps prompt caution. The defining question of this paper is, accordingly, “Does pluralism necessarily lead to relativism?” Furthermore, “Does pluralism represent an intractable problem for hermeneutics’ quest for understanding or is its methodological scepticism to be welcomed?” 

[1] Simon Jenkins, The Guardian, 29 May 2013, p. 26.