Abstract

The question of objectivity asks how we can bridge the gap between ourselves and the world outside us. It is the epistemological manifestation of the problem of alienation. This dissertation is in two parts. The first part develops a notion of basic objectivity using the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas. The second part attempts to show the relationship between this notion of objectivity and the contemporary scientific methodology and world view, as interpreted in the works of Karl Popper. ;The key to a basic objectivity lies in an experiential recognition that at the most fundamental level the self and the world are indistinguishable. The true "critical" question concerns, not bridging the gap, but an examination of the grounds for maintaining such a distinction. It terms of Thomistic psychology, objectivity can be considered a habit or disposition by which the self measures and is measured by the world in the mode of their common being. ;Many of the differences between Aquinas and Popper are terminological, historical, or due to different emphases of interest. A common language can best be established at the level of formal logic. Popper has worked his way out of many of the positions characteristic of the modern period and in fact, on several issues, stands closer to Aquinas than to most of his contemporaries. As compared to Aquinas, Popper's greatest deficiencies are poor technique in the art of defining, and the lack of a systematic utilization of the notion of principles. His main contributions are his emphasis on theory and on a methodology for the growth of conjectural knowledge.