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The Improprieties of the The Improprieties of the Pretense of Knowledge Pretense of Knowledge

by Daniel Kleinby Daniel Kleindklein@gmu.edu

A presentation atA presentation atthe Cato Institutethe Cato InstituteMarch 29, 2012March 29, 2012

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ProprietyProprietyii

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The equal-equal relationshipThe equal-equal relationship

The superior-inferior relationshipThe superior-inferior relationship

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““Frankness and openness Frankness and openness conciliate confidence. We trust conciliate confidence. We trust the man who seems willing to the man who seems willing to trust us. We see clearly, we trust us. We see clearly, we think, the road by which he think, the road by which he means to conduct us, and we means to conduct us, and we abandon ourselves with abandon ourselves with pleasure to his guidance and pleasure to his guidance and direction. …”direction. …”

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““The great pleasure of The great pleasure of conversation and society, conversation and society, besides, arises from a certain besides, arises from a certain correspondence of sentiments correspondence of sentiments and opinions, from a certain and opinions, from a certain harmony of minds, which like harmony of minds, which like so many musical instruments so many musical instruments coincide and keep time with coincide and keep time with one another. But this most one another. But this most delightful harmony cannot be delightful harmony cannot be obtained unless there is a free obtained unless there is a free communication of sentiments communication of sentiments and opinions.and opinions.””

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““In the courts of princes,In the courts of princes, in the in the drawing-rooms of the greatdrawing-rooms of the great, , where success and preferment where success and preferment dependdepend, , not upon the esteem of not upon the esteem of intelligent and well informed intelligent and well informed equalsequals, , but upon the fanciful but upon the fanciful and foolish favour of ignorant, and foolish favour of ignorant, presumptuouspresumptuous, , and proud and proud superiors; flattery and falsehood superiors; flattery and falsehood too often prevail …too often prevail …””

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Knowledge entails …Knowledge entails …

informationinformation

interpretationinterpretation

judgmentjudgment

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Ambrose Bierce, Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s The Devil’s DictionaryDictionary

Education,Education, n.n. That which That which

discloses to the wise and discloses to the wise and

disguises from the foolish their disguises from the foolish their

lack of understanding. lack of understanding.

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Alfred MarshallAlfred Marshall

““But the more I studied economic But the more I studied economic science, the smaller appeared the science, the smaller appeared the knowledge which I had of it, in knowledge which I had of it, in proportion to the knowledge that I proportion to the knowledge that I needed; and now, at the end of nearly needed; and now, at the end of nearly half a century of almost exclusive study half a century of almost exclusive study of it, I am conscious of more ignorance of it, I am conscious of more ignorance of it than I was at the beginning of the of it than I was at the beginning of the study.”study.”

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The becoming virtuesThe becoming virtues

““The general rules of almost all the The general rules of almost all the virtues, the general rules which virtues, the general rules which determine what are the offices of determine what are the offices of prudence, of charity, of generosity, of prudence, of charity, of generosity, of gratitude, of friendship, are in many gratitude, of friendship, are in many respects loose and inaccurate, admit of respects loose and inaccurate, admit of many exceptions, and require so many many exceptions, and require so many modifications, that it is scarce possible modifications, that it is scarce possible to regulate our conduct entirely by a to regulate our conduct entirely by a regard to them.”regard to them.”

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One virtue is grammaticalOne virtue is grammatical““There is, however, one virtue of There is, however, one virtue of which the general rules determine which the general rules determine with the greatest exactness every with the greatest exactness every external action which it requires. external action which it requires. This virtue is justice. The rules of This virtue is justice. The rules of justice are accurate in the highest justice are accurate in the highest degree … [T]he whole nature and degree … [T]he whole nature and circumstances of the action circumstances of the action prescribed, are all of them precisely prescribed, are all of them precisely fixt and determined.”fixt and determined.”

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Propriety vs. grammarPropriety vs. grammar

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Commutative justice: Commutative justice: ““abstaining from what is another’s”abstaining from what is another’s”

The becoming virtues: The becoming virtues: making “the becoming use of what making “the becoming use of what

is our own”is our own” (as well as holding (as well as holding particular objects in proper value or particular objects in proper value or esteem)esteem)

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Commutative justice:Commutative justice:““the main pillar that upholds the the main pillar that upholds the

whole edifice”whole edifice”

Beneficence:Beneficence:““the ornament which embellishes … the ornament which embellishes …

the building”the building”

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Smith on casuistrySmith on casuistry

““It is the end of casuistry to It is the end of casuistry to prescribe rules for the conduct of prescribe rules for the conduct of a good man. By observing all the a good man. By observing all the rules of … casuistry … we rules of … casuistry … we should be entitled to should be entitled to considerable praise by the exact considerable praise by the exact and scrupulous delicacy of our and scrupulous delicacy of our behaviour.”behaviour.”

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on books of casuistryon books of casuistry

““That frivolous accuracy which they That frivolous accuracy which they attempted to introduce into subjects attempted to introduce into subjects which do not admit of it, almost which do not admit of it, almost necessarily betrayed them into those necessarily betrayed them into those dangerous errors [such as chicaning dangerous errors [such as chicaning with our consciences and evading the with our consciences and evading the most essential articles of our duty], most essential articles of our duty], and at the same time rendered their and at the same time rendered their works dry and disagreeable.”works dry and disagreeable.”

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The endThe end

Thank you for your attention.Thank you for your attention.