MARK WRATHALL: A PHILOSOPHICAL PLURALIST
MARK WRATHALL: UN FILÓSOFO PLURALISTA
MARK WRATHALL
Uni e si y o Cali o nia
MARTA FIGUERAS
[email p o ec ed]
Uni e sidad Au ónoma de Ba celona
JOAN MÉNDEZ
jmendez@a pc.es
P esiden e de la Asociación de Filoso ía P ác ica de Ca aluña
RECIBIDO: 14/06/2012
ACEPTADO: 31/07/2012
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Ma a Figue as – Joan Méndez
Ma k W a hall is p o esso o Philosophy a he Uni e si y o Cali o nia,
Ri e side. His wo k ocuses on phenomenology, exis en ialism, he
philosophy o popula cul u e, and he philosophy o a . He is
conside ed a leading in e p e e o he philosophy o Ma in Heidegge .
And he is au ho o books like How o Read Heidegge (2005) and
Heidegge and Unconcealmen : T u h, Language, His o y (2010).
P o esso W a hall is cu en ly edi ing The Camb idge Companion o
Heidegge ’s Being and Time ( o hcoming 2012), and inishing up a book
manusc ip on Heidegge ’s la e wo k.
Philosophy is o en c i icized, a leas in Eu ope, o being oo
heo e ical. And o e he las cen u y, i seems o ha e been con ined o
uni e si y class ooms. Now, a a ime when he agmen a ion o socie y
and i s alues lead back o a e lec ion on he meaning o exis ence, he
p ac ical aspec o philosophy eco e s he impo ance i had a i s
o igins. In his con ex , wha use is philosophy?
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MARK WRATHALL – MARTA FIGUERAS – JOAN MÉNDEZ
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Ma k W a hall
Pa o he p oblem wi h ou wo ld is ha we a e so ins umen ally
minded. We alue hings o he ex en ha we can pu hem o use,
exploi hem, commodi y hem, and make hem eadily a ailable o use
and consump ion. In ha con ex , I hink pa o he use o philosophy is
ha i is useless. I ’s no a science, and i won’ help us unde s and how
o p edic and explain he causal in e ac ions o any domain o objec s.
I ’s no a echnology, and i won’ help us o con ol and domina e
objec s. Some would make philosophy in o he “handmaid o he
sciences,” and ake as i s ask he eaching o c i ical easoning skills, he
cla i ica ion o concep s, he de elopmen o ules o easoning. Bu he
jus i ica ion o his es s ul ima ely on es iges o he analy ic/syn he ic
dis inc ion, and he idea ha he e is a kind o concep ual analysis and
easoning p ocess ha is pu e o any empi ical con en . The e’s no
eason why scien is s can’ each he kind o hinking ha ’s needed in he
empi ical sciences, and do i in a way ha ’s ecep i e o and ailo ed o
he demands o empi ical esea ch wi hin hei speci ic domain. So e en
his claim o a special use ulness o philosophy is suspec .
Wha philosophy is e y good a , by con as , is ques ioning ou
assump ions abou such hings as use and use ulness, abou ou d i e o
ins umen alize he wo ld. This is jus an example, bu whe e he
sciences seek o explain an objec , b eak i down, econ igu e i , ende i
lexible and a ailable o eady use, philosophy asks why we eel an u ge
o unde s and, explain, con ol, and econ igu e he wo ld. I use ulness
is measu ed by he ex en o which one ad ances such in e es ,
philosophy is o en he mos useless o disciplines. And, in ac , his
oldes o ep oaches agains philosophy – ha i “co up s he you h” – is
a ecogni ion o his ac .
And despi e all his, people come o philosophy o explo e hei sense
(usually a ague, ina icula e and inchoa e sense) ha some hing’s no
igh wi h he p e ailing ways we make sense o he wo ld. I i ’s li ing
up o i s p omise, philosophy will help hem make sense o his conce n.
Ma a Figue as – Joan Méndez
Wha would you say ha philosophy has b ough in you own li e, beyond
becoming an academic occupa ion o p o ession?
HASER. Re is a In e nacional de Filoso ía Aplicada, nº 4, 2013, pp. 171-179
MARK WRATHALL: A PHILOSOPHICAL PLURALIST
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Ma k W a hall
Th ough p ac ice in any discipline, he wo ld eaches us how o see hings
in a new way. Pain e s expe ience colo and o m and composi ion in he
wo ld a ound hem di e en ly, as a esul o p ac ice in pu ing he isual
wo ld on can as. Ca pen e s see g ains and colo s and ex u es
di e en ly as a esul o b inging o m o wood. I suppose ha
philosophe s see meanings and ideas and jus i ica o y o in e en ial
ela ionships in a way ha o he s do no . I li e in cons an wonde a he
backg ound o meaning, he “logic” o exis ence ha shapes he hings
and e en s I encoun e . I’d say ha being a philosophe en iches my
expe ience o a , o human e en s, o mo ies, o music, o lo e and
iendship. Beyond ha , philosophy has gi en me he pe ec excuse o
spend my ime in con e sa ion wi h in e es ing people in in e es ing
places a ound he wo ld.
Ma a Figue as – Joan Méndez
Wha kind o philosophy is p ac iced in he U.S.? Is he p ac ical aspec
o his discipline being emphasized?
Ma k W a hall
I’m a aid ha , o mos o he pas cen u y, philosophy in he U.S. has
been e y much emo ed om he ac ual li es o people. Analy ic
philosophy, which is he p e ailing mode o philosophy in Ame ica,
p ides i sel on i s clea and igo ous s yle. And he le el o echnical
p o iciency in much o analy ic philosophy is indeed e y imp essi e. Bu
he eali y is ha , wi hou ex ensi e aining in philosophy, i ’s e y
di icul o mos people o unde s and wha ’s a s ake in he analy ic
con e sa ion.
Now I’m a philosophical plu alis . I hink i would be a mis ake o
anyone o y o dic a e ha philosophy should be done in his way o
ha ; ha i mus deal wi h hese issues o hose; ha i mus employ his
me hod o ha ; ha i mus adop a pa icula s yle. I would be a
p o oundly unphilosophical a i ude o y o dic a e such hings. And
s ill, I wo y ha philosophy is no doing enough o d aw he b oade
communi y in o he con e sa ion. Philosophy has a unique con ibu ion o
HASER. Re is a In e nacional de Filoso ía Aplicada, nº 4, 2013, pp. 171-179
MARK WRATHALL – MARTA FIGUERAS – JOAN MÉNDEZ
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make as we g apple wi h he impo an issues o ou gene a ion, and i
would be a g ea shame i philosophe s we e o wi hd aw om he ay,
o o speak only o each o he .
Ma a Figue as – Joan Méndez
So, I I unde s and co ec ly you wo ds, you’ e de ending, in ac , he
p ac ical aspec o philosophy, as he unique use ha philosophy could
ha e is, maybe, hinking abou “ he impo an issues o ou gene a ion”.
Is ha igh ?
Ma k W a hall
Some o hem, yes. I hink he mos impo an issues o each gene a ion
a e he ones ha challenge inhe i ed p ac ices and assump ions and ways
o hinking. You migh call hese “ hough p o oking” challenges,
because hey dis up ou usual ways o dealing wi h he wo ld and o ce
us o hink. I suspec ha he unique con ibu ion o philosophy is in
aining us o endu e in hough ulness – o linge in hese momen s o
b eakdown, a he han ying o e u n as quickly as possible o a
mindless way o managing he si ua ion. F om he pe spec i e o
calcula i e a ionali y, which wan s o igu e ou how o con ol any
si ua ion as e icien ly as possible, i is p ecisely ha endency o endu e
in hough ulness ha makes philosophy appea so useless. And so
philosophy (along wi h he o he humani ies), is inc easingly called upon
o p o e ha i can make a con ibu ion o he la ge global- echnological-
economic o de . I can’ help bu see his demand as an upda ed e sion
o he oldes and longes s anding accusa ion le el led agains
philosophe s. This accusa ion is ha philosophe s, a om be e
equipping hei s uden s o unc ion in socie y, “co up he you h”
This is a se ious accusa ion, o no jus any possible way o o ming a
pe son’s disposi ions, disc imina o y capaci ies and as es amoun s o an
educa ion – i is o cou se possible o o m a pe son in such a way ha he
o she is less, no mo e, able o ac in acco dance wi h wha he si ua ion
calls o . The opposi e o an educa ion is a co up ion, whe e co up ion
is a way o o ming an indi idual so as o unde mine o des oy his o
he skills, disc imina o y capaci ies, and as es. And I’ e essen ially
acknowledged in wha I’ e said o his poin ha an educa ion in hinking
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MARK WRATHALL: A PHILOSOPHICAL PLURALIST
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is almos by de ini ion co up ing. Heidegge , oo, has acknowledged as
much: “we o oday especially can only lea n i weal ways a he same
ime unlea n. . . . We can only lea n o hink i we unlea n om he
g ound up wha hinking’s essence has been up un il now.”
Bu one should also dis inguish wo ypes o co up ion – one ype o
co up ion eplaces unde s anding wi h a lack o unde s anding; ano he
ype o co up ion eplaces one kind o unde s anding wi h ano he kind
o unde s anding. O o pu i mo e p ecisely, a philosophical co up ion
eplaces a sense o wha ’s impo an in he wo ld, wi h a sensibili y o
he con ingency o he wo ld. By he s anda ds o calcula i e hinking,
such a Philosophical co up ion may well p oduce a disu ili y. I will
almos ce ain make us less e icien , and hus educe he alue o ou
s uden s o he global- echnological economy. Wha an educa ion in
hinking does o e is a highe es ima ion o he digni y o human beings.
We a e he beings who can ake esponsibili y o ou way o being in he
wo ld, a he han being d i en by exigencies o e iciency, lexibili y,
and op ionaliza ion.
Ma a Figue as – Joan Méndez
Do you hink i is good o y o popula ize philosophy? Wha isks do
you see in he ac o ying o b ing philosophy o he public? Is ha
app op ia e? Necessa y?
Ma k W a hall
I d aw a dis inc ion be ween he ins i u ion o philosophy and he p ac ice
o philosophy. Fo he ins i u ion o philosophy – he depa men s,
esea ch cen e s, socie ies, con e ences, he jou nals and publishing a ms
o uni e si y p esses – I hink he e’s a isk oday i we don’ popula ize
philosophy. Uni e si ies and g an ing agencies a e mo e and mo e
ocused on quan i a i e, demons able economic e u ns on hei
in es men s. I’m no su e his is a game ha he ins i u ion o philosophy
can win. I he ins i u ion is o su i e, i needs o shine – i needs o
a ac and d aw people o i , and show ha i ma e s in a way ha isn’
easy o acknowledge wi hin a s aigh o wa d cos -bene i analysis.
Fo he p ac ice o philosophy, on he o he hand, I do hink ha he e is a
isk in ying o popula ize philosophy. Some philosophe s wo y abou
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MARK WRATHALL – MARTA FIGUERAS – JOAN MÉNDEZ
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“wa e ing down” philosophy, abou making i dumb enough o public
consump ion. Bu ha is no o me he conce n. Fo me, he wo y is
ins ead he emp a ion o educe philosophy o a menu o “posi ions” o
iewpoin s ha can be aken up wi h espec o any pa icula p oblem.
The p ac ice o philosophy li es in a landscape ha is un amilia o
e e yday, public o ms o li e. O , o be mo e p ecise, philosophy h i es
in expe iencing he amilia and well- od pa hs o e e yday li e as
un amilia , as in i ing new esponses, as opening up on o p e iously
unseen is as. The p ac ice o philosophy in ol es a en a i e, hal ing
ques ioning ha esis s he emp a ion o all back on amilia concep s
and ca ego ies. In my expe ience, i wo ks bes amongs a small g oup o
in e locu o s, who us each o he and a e no a aid o make mis akes, o
be co ec ed, o wande in o a dead end and pains akingly e ace hei
s eps, e c. This p ac ice is e y di icul o main ain in a public se ing.
Ma a Figue as – Joan Méndez
This eminds me o he Kan ian asse ion: "You canno lea n philosophy,
can only lea n o philosophize."
Ma k W a hall
Tha ’s e y well pu . Philosophy is a p ac ice. I ’s an a i ude. I ’s a way
o explo ing and disclosing he wo ld. The momen i becomes a se o
p oposi ions ha one can lea n, o a me hod ha one can apply
o mulaically, i ’s no longe philosophy – i ’s dogma o science.
Ma a Figue as – Joan Méndez
Me aphysics is pe haps one o he b anches o Philosophy ha could
p o ide mo e ligh on he loss o he o iginal meaning o exis ence, as
la en (and so isible) oday. F om wha pe spec i e you a e wo king so
heo e ical aspec bu a he same ime, so essen ial o ou p ac ical li e?
Ma k W a hall
Yes, I ag ee. Fo hose who a e conce ned abou he emp iness and
banali y o con empo a y li e, I hink a me aphysical inqui y in o he
s uc u e o exis ence can be qui e illumina ing. My own hinking o en
u ns a ound his e y issue. I’m cu en ly in ol ed, o ins ance, in
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MARK WRATHALL: A PHILOSOPHICAL PLURALIST
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ying o ge clea abou di e en ways o expe iencing empo ali y. The
na u e o empo ali y is a e y adi ional me aphysical issue, bu
philosophe s end o ocus on he empo ali y o causal in e ac ions. This
misses comple ely he way ha ime s uc u es he spaces and ac i i ies o
e e yday li e. When we a e wi h iends and lo ed ones, when we a e
wo king, when we a e a a music conce , when we expe ience he sac ed,
when we a e los in hough o ememb ance – each o hese expe iences
in ol es a di e en way o ela ing ou in ol emen in he momen wi h
ou ecollec ions and an icipa ions. And hey a e incompa ible wi h he
inc easingly pe asi e empo ali y o con empo a y li e - he empo ali y
o consump ion, o expe imen ing wi h (bu no commi ing o) op ions,
o mul i- asking.
Ma a Figue as – Joan Méndez
Do you hink eading Ma in Heidegge ’s wo ks could help us o analyze
he ac ual momen o ou socie ies? In which sense?
Ma k W a hall
I e u n again and again o Heidegge ’s diagnosis o he pa hologies o
ou echnological age. I hink Heidegge was way ahead o e e ybody in
ecognizing and seeing wha ’s going on in ou wo ld. The e is no
ques ion ha mode n echnology has b ough emendous bene i s o
human beings. Technology has con ibu ed o d ama ic inc eases in
heal h and weal h as i has imp o ed he supply o he basic commodi ies
o li e – housing, ood, clo hing, as well as medicines, heal hca e. In
addi ion, de elopmen s in echnologies o anspo a ion and
communica ion ha e en iched ou li es by b inging a ie y and opening
up endless op ions o en e ainmen .
Ye many people eel an ambi alence abou echnology, a ce ain malaise
in he p esence o he inc easing echnologiza ion o e e y aspec o ou
li es. This ambi alence is cap u ed nicely in a VCU Li e Sciences Su ey
on public a i udes owa d echnology. In yea a e yea o he su ey,
app oxima ely 90% o Ame icans ag ee ha “scien i ic esea ch is
essen ial o imp o ing he quali y o human li es,” and abou he same
pe cen age hold ha , “on he whole, de elopmen s in new echnology
helped make socie y be e .”And ye app oxima ely 50% o Ame icans
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MARK WRATHALL – MARTA FIGUERAS – JOAN MÉNDEZ
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su eyed consis en ly hold ha “scien i ic esea ch has c ea ed as many
p oblems o socie y as i has solu ions.”
Mo eo e , he b oad consensus iew ha science and echnology imp o e
li e becomes much mo e di ided when ques ions we e asked abou
speci ic echnologies like gene ic he apy. In e es ingly enough, he
su ey posed he ques ion in e ms o when “science goes oo a .” 94%
hough i would be “going oo a ” o use bio echnology o change a
baby’s eye and hai colo , o ins ance. And 54% e en belie ed i was
“going oo a ” o use gene ic he apy o educe a baby’s isk o se ious
disease. 61% said hey would be unlikely o use gene ic he apies o slow
down he p ocess o aging (e en hough 92% said hey belie ed ha
“new echnology used in medicine allows people o li e longe and
be e ”).
In a mo e pe sonal, anecdo al le el, many people I alk o exp ess a
eeling o opp ession in he ace o echnology. They ha e eeling d i en
o check email cons an ly, and ye hey can’ esis he u ge. Wi h
conside able guil , iends will epo episodes o u ning in o in e ne
su ing zombies – waking up om a cybe -coma o ealize hey’ e
was ed a day o a nigh . We eel, in a my iad o small and sub le ways,
ha echnology has in aded domains in which i doesn’ eally belong,
and om which i de ac s.
This ambi alence owa d echnology – his eeling o malaise e en in he
ace o he undeniable bene i s ha echnologiza ion has b ough – poin s
o some hing impo an abou ou echnological age.
On Heidegge ’s accoun o echnology, he malaise is oo ed in on ology
– in a sense ha we a e dis o ing ou sel es and he en i ies we encoun e
in he wo ld by imposing on hem a mode o being ha doesn’ le hem
be in he way ha is mos he i own. The p oblem wi h echnology is a
p oblem o bounda ies – o ecognizing wha en i ies a e allowed o be
he i own by echnology, and wha en i ies a e no ; and hen ha ing he
es ain (Ve hal enhei ) no o o ce non- echnological en i ies in o a
echnological ame. Heidegge calls he abili y o espec such
bounda ies “ha ing a ee ela ionship o echnology”. I amoun s o
lea ning o esis he demands o echnology – indeed, o being no longe
e en subjec o hese demands whe e hey would be inapp op ia e.
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MARK WRATHALL: A PHILOSOPHICAL PLURALIST
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Ma a Figue as – Joan Méndez
I ag ee. Bu …when you alk abou Heidegge , I no ice you alk abou he
la es o his wo ks. Wha ’s abou he on ology ha Heidegge designs in
Being and Time, o example. Is i also use ull in his con ex o p ac ical
philosophy?
Ma k W a hall
Yes, I hink so. The way Heidegge analyzed he empo ali y o e e yday
exis ence in Being and Time lies a he oo o a lo o he hings I’ e been
saying he e. And i ’s also a opic o some o my cu en wo k. Jus one
example – I’m e y in e es ed in he idea ha di e en ways o
o ganizing ime gi e ise o di e en expe iences o space. I spoke las
all a a con e ence in Rome de o ed o he p oblem o p o ec ing sac ed
spaces. I ound Heidegge ’s accoun o empo ali y o be e y use ul
he e. The e is a pa icula empo al pa e n ha go e ns equipmen al
con ex s – when I am using ools and aw ma e ials o cons uc an objec ,
o example, I am o ien ed owa d he u u e by way o a de ini e
expec a ion o wha is going o esul om my ac ions. Bu ha kind o
expec a ion is no compa ible wi h an expe ience o he sac ed in a holy
place o ca hed al o mosque o wha e e . To be open o an expe ience
o he sac ed, one mus be eady o be dis-o ien ed, o ha e one’s
expec a ions al e ed. Tha sugges s ha he p o ec ion o sac ed spaces
equi es us o no in oduce hem in o an economy o use, o hink o
hem as somehow con ibu ing o he quali y o li e. The sac ed can’
emain sac ed i i is u ned in o an op ion, and commodi y ha o e s a
pa icula quali y o aes he ic expe ience.
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