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(To read Part 1 / 上集: 【傳統与傳統智慧】, please click here)
According to Wikipedia: "... Conventional Wisdom CW is a term used to describe ideas or explanations that are generally accepted (and widely held) as true by the public or by experts in a field, (but) are unexamined and, hence, may be reevaluated upon further examination or as events unfold ..."
The untested and subjective nature of CW is also echoed by the on-line dictionary's translation of the following into Chinese:
* Conventionalism: 依從俗例; 因襲主義; 慣例; 習慣做法; 常規舊套; 相沿成習的事物丶陳言套語; 【數學】約定論。
* Conventionalist: 拘泥習俗丶遵守慣例的人。
Thus, a group of people can construct "reality" by calling their opinions, values or beliefs "conventional wisdom" and then proceed to treat them as such. In the more extreme case, the group may impose their "conventional wisdom" on non-believers or opponents through collusion (e.g. political or monetary instruments), convention (e.g. code of conducts), and/or control (e.g. laws/regulations, military force, revolution). Compared to "traditional wisdom", "conventional wisdom" is more transient, subjective, and unlike the former, has not withstood the test of time over several generations.
Please do not get the wrong impression that I am against "conventional wisdom" and "traditional wisdom". I would be the first one to admit that both have their intrinsic functional values, such as the provision of social cohesion and public guidance to some, if not all sectors of a society. As I mentioned in Part 1, the issue is not so much about whether it is "real" wisdom or not, but rather, whether the knowledge or opinions should be applied in whole, in part, or at all.
References:
* "Conventional Wisdom" Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conventional_wisdom
* 「兩週一聚 / Bi-weekly Series」: 【傳統与傳統智慧 / Convention & Conventional Wisdom】(上集 / Part 1) http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2009/03/bi-weekly-series-convention.html
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6 comments:
Hi 微豆,
Thinking about it, Wikipedia, when everyone can edit it (including you and me) is a crowd sourced wisdom (a collective wisdom).
Since you look like will enjoy reference, here is something from the Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/convention/
Thanks Haricot, i understand better 'conventional wisdom' with your explaination :)
加燦: You are right abt Wikipedia. Adn, thank you for the SEP reference (all 39 pages of it :)
Michelle: You are most welcome !!
Glad to see you appreciate the SEP reference. I have only scanned a few paragraphs of it, so if you actually read anywhere near 39 pages, you are a lot more interested in it than I am. :)
Glad to see you had some fun with the topic.
加燦: I do find the topic interesting. Thx !!
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