The truth of ideas is independent of their social origins

Evidence

The inner validity, coherence, and objective significance of all sciences, technologies, and arts are completely independent of the fact that they are realized within and find their preconditions in a social life, just as independent as their objective sense is of the psychological processes through which their discoverers found them. — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 210

Categorization

• QUESTION: This position on the autonomy of objective validity from social emergence could be contrasted with constructivist sociology of knowledge in later schools.
• XREF: connects to: Life’s needs rather than independent reason determine what counts as truth — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 857; Intellectual originality can be a product of marginal social position — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 10; One reality supports many independent scientific viewpoints of it — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 207 (+43 more)

Related

• Truth of a theory is independent of either its productivity or its non-application (similarity 0.88)
• Enlightenment-based sociology fragments because theories depend on observers’ beliefs about human nature (similarity 0.86)
• A thinker’s own thought must be separated from earlier material that only stimulated it (similarity 0.85)
• Social movements generate theory rather than merely applying it (similarity 0.85)
• Humanity’s viewpoint and society’s viewpoint remain in principle distinct (similarity 0.84)
• Intellectuals must admit ideology rather than claim value-free science (similarity 0.83)
• Each society has a regime of truth that determines what counts as true (similarity 0.82)
• Life’s needs rather than independent reason determine what counts as truth (similarity 0.82)
• One reality supports many independent scientific viewpoints of it (similarity 0.82)
• Hountondji’s critique fails by ignoring how social structures shape individual thought. (similarity 0.82)
• Pure logical reasoning thrives in loneliness but produces empty pseudo-truth (similarity 0.81)
• Philosophy divides into scientific questions and extrarational commitments (similarity 0.80)
• Intellectual originality can be a product of marginal social position (similarity 0.80)
• Reason was originally conceived as a subversive power that transforms reality toward truth (similarity 0.79)
• Concepts formed without social context restrict and confine knowledge (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Mathematical facts are true independently of human thought #exemplifies (0.80) — G. H. Hardy, A Mathematician’s Apology, 264
• Thought is primarily public and social, not private #complicates (0.60) — James W. Carey, Communication as Culture- Essays on…, 200
• Ideology theory claims that non-ideas determine the content of ideas. #contradicts (0.60) — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 324
• Ancient sceptics conformed to local custom while rejecting underlying beliefs #exemplifies (0.60) — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 960
• A self-consistent philosophy can be completely false while inconsistent systems hold truth #expands (0.50) — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 2213
• Objectivist truth served as philosophy’s safeguard against the intoxication of power #corroborates (0.50) — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 2943
• Ideologies connect to subjects through contingent, breakable articulations rather than necessity #qualifies (0.50)
• Society provides the categories of thought, not the content of taxonomies #expands (0.50)
• Revolutionary consciousness arises from cultural idiom, not from productive relations #contradicts (0.40)
• Truth creates sustainable structures within societies. #corroborates (0.40) — Jordan B. Peterson, 12 Rules for Life An Antidote to Chaos, 702