Free Speech and the Theory of Rational Argumentation
Spring 2003
"...there is something to be gained in argumentative interaction, and something that is lost in pursuing one's ends unreflectively, ignoring or silencing others' challenges to them."
Is it possible to be fair and neutral when arguing with one's opponents? Is there some independent truth that can be pursued through debate? These were the questions raised in Terry Aladjem's Social Studies tutorial, "Law and American Society" that sparked Holden Karnofsky's interest in the meaningfulness and worth of the ideal of free speech.
His interest in the subject led to his project, and ultimately his thesis, in which Jorgen Habermas' defense of the importance of rational argumentation plays a central role. "My thesis undertakes to sketch a theory of rational argumentation, in which the "unforced force of the better argument" can cause people to revise even their most deeply and confidently held preferences and desires" writes Holden. "I draw on experiments in the field of social psychology - specifically, studies by Valins (1966), and by Dienstbier and Munter (1971) - to argue that such preferences and desires are best thought of as theories that people form about themselves. They form these theories using evidence that includes their memories, their subjective experiences, and even their own behavior, and they can be led to revise these theories much as scientists can be led to revise their theories about the external world."
For example, in the Valins' study, "male subjects were told that their heartbeat would be recorded as they looked at slides of women. All subjects heard a pulsing noise as they looked at the slides, and the noise accelerated or decelerated as certain slides were shown. However, some subjects had been told that the experimenters had to amplify their heartbeat in order to record it, and that the sound they were hearing was that of their own heartbeat. Others had been told that the pulsing noise was meaningless, and was merely being played to assess the effects of distracting noises on their reactions to the slides. All subjects were told to try to ignore the noise. Those who associated the noise with their own heartbeats tended to rate as significantly more attractive those slides which had been accompanied by an acceleration or deceleration in the pulsing noise. This suggests that they inferred their attraction to the women from false evidence about their own physiological reactions."
"When I read about these experiments," explains Holden, " it occurred to me that if individuals' preferences resemble theories intended to explain evidence, it might be useful to examine literature on what makes scientific theories more or less "rational".
Indeed, he found much relevant information in the literature on the philosophy of science to support his central argument that " beliefs can be analogized to scientific theories."
"The research was possible because I was able to take time off from work, partly due to a Social Studies grant and partly due to a Dean's Summer Research Award from the SEO", Holden notes.
Since Holden did his research in different fields, he relied on the expertise of several Harvard faculty members. His advisor, Darra Mulderry, "continued to be a constant help." At her suggestion Holden went for help to Prof. David Laibson who teaches a course on psychology and economics. Lecturer Erin Driver-Linn "was tremendously helpful, giving thorough criticism on several drafts", as well as helping Holden " sift through the relevant literature in social psychology." Lecturer Chris Sturr offered help with the philosophy of science.
Finally, for help with the work of Habermas, Holden met with James Schmidt, a professor at Boston University and a Visiting Professor in Social Studies.
On a lighter note, Holden is the Co-President and Editor-in-Chief of the Swift Magazine, and a contributing member of the Board of Editors of the Harvard Lampoon.
Marta Lehman
