by Summary:
This brings up the issue of worldview and interpretation of perception as information ("reality," "the facts"). Everyone's experience is shaped by subjective factors. One such factor is one's worldview, which is based on cultural and individual factors and circumstances.Thus, it is possible to speak of particular national points of view, religious points of view, political points of view, class-based points of view, etc., and how these different categories intersect in particular individuals and groups. The result is that those sharing similar points of view live in a shared "reality" shaped by many factors but foundationally by the commonality of worldview. This constitutes their universe of discourse. It is how they see things and construct "the facts" based on interpretation that is
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Mike Norman considers the following as important:
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This brings up the issue of worldview and interpretation of perception as information ("reality," "the facts"). Everyone's experience is shaped by subjective factors. One such factor is one's worldview, which is based on cultural and individual factors and circumstances.Thus, it is possible to speak of particular national points of view, religious points of view, political points of view, class-based points of view, etc., and how these different categories intersect in particular individuals and groups. The result is that those sharing similar points of view live in a shared "reality" shaped by many factors but foundationally by the commonality of worldview. This constitutes their universe of discourse. It is how they see things and construct "the facts" based on interpretation that is
Topics:
Mike Norman considers the following as important:
This could be interesting, too:
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This brings up the issue of worldview and interpretation of perception as information ("reality," "the facts"). Everyone's experience is shaped by subjective factors. One such factor is one's worldview, which is based on cultural and individual factors and circumstances.
Thus, it is possible to speak of particular national points of view, religious points of view, political points of view, class-based points of view, etc., and how these different categories intersect in particular individuals and groups.
The result is that those sharing similar points of view live in a shared "reality" shaped by many factors but foundationally by the commonality of worldview. This constitutes their universe of discourse. It is how they see things and construct "the facts" based on interpretation that is largely subjective. In terms of "the news," this interpretation or point of view constitutes "the narrative."
Those who do not share in this commonality are considered in relation to the common worldview. So, if there is fundamental disagreement, the outside group is thought to be lying about reality, is ignorant, or is even crazy. This applies to members of the outside group, too. This is now proliferating not only about leaders such as Putin and Xi, but also about the Russians and Chinese as peoples. It is immature, ignorant, and arrogant, and it is leading to dangerous xenophobia and demonization. It is especially dangerous since the parties are nuclear-armed.
For example, initially the American focus was on Putin. He is evil ("Putler"). He is "crazy." Along with this was the notion that the Russian people were basically good and sane and were just waiting for the opportunity to overthrow the dictator to free themselves from oppression. But then, after the invasion, polling showed that the Russian people were overwhelmingly supportive of the leadership. Then the American perception became that Russians are evil, subhuman, crazy, etc.
Rather, "reality" is shaped not only on perception, but reports of others perception, and also by subjective factors that are shared, like a worldview, and also individual idiosyncrasies. Each of us lives in a different reality of our own construction and we tend to agree with and associate with those similarly inclined.
So, are there "alternative facts"? Yes. How can they be assessed "objectively"? Humans have devised ways of dealing with with such issues. For example, science is based on a naturalistic assumption designed to reduce subjectivity, but "science" is not fool-prove either. In the final analysis, absolute objectivity in anything other than the trivial lies beyond human grasp. This is part of "the human condition."
Vladimir Putin is Crazy?
Larry C. Johnson | CEO and co-founder of BERG Associates, LLC, an international business-consulting firm with expertise combating terrorism and investigating money laundering, formerly Deputy Director in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Counter Terrorism (1989-1993, and CIA operations (1984-1989)
https://sonar21.com/vladimir-putin-is-crazy/
Larry C. Johnson | CEO and co-founder of BERG Associates, LLC, an international business-consulting firm with expertise combating terrorism and investigating money laundering, formerly Deputy Director in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Counter Terrorism (1989-1993, and CIA operations (1984-1989)
https://sonar21.com/vladimir-putin-is-crazy/
Related
This following post illustrates the point. Andrew Goodman's take on Vladimir Putin is well-informed, presents the facts as he saw them from his point of view, and provides his assessment of Putin and what he is likely to do with respect to Ukraine. The account is from the American point of view and is illustrates how a worldview shapes one's perception of reality and "the facts." Since Goodman is long-serving veteran of the US diplomatic corps, it is reasonable to conclude that this at least close to the lines along which current thinking in the State Department runs.
How accurate a picture is this "objectively"? The problem in answering this is that no one is able to stand completely outside one's worldview, which is shaped by one's native language and culture, education, life experience in accord with one's constitutional disposition and character (and one's karmic baggage from the Eastern and Western esoteric points of view).
The interpretation says as much about how Goodman thinks as about Vladimir Putin. If one reads around, one can find a range of opinion on this, presenting very different pictures of the man based on different points of view that have been shaped by many factors and which is necessarily embedded in a worldview.
War on the Rocks
Putin the Planner
Andrew Goodman, retired from the Senior Foreign Service in 2009 after over 30 years mostly devoted to dealing with the USSR and Russia. He has taught courses on Russian foreign policy at Columbia University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Mary Washington University.
http://warontherocks.com/2022/04/putin-the-planner/