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 e... xperience 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. 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 ...Read More