The Epistemology of Action and Reaction
The current brouhaha over the anti-terror legislation, events in and around Ruatoki, and the like raises very interesting questions about ‘knowing’ (hence, epistemology in the title). Who knows what is really going on? Will the public ever learn everything? If the police cannot bring a case according to the legislation against terror, and cannot use information gained through certain means of communication interception in pursuit of convictions with respect to other legislation, why can we not know what they know? Clearly some people know something and they believe they cannot share that knowledge. Other people appear to be making statements which one wodners might not be made if they knew what the first group know!
Quite extraordinary in the context of questions of the epistemology of action and reaction in respect of Ruatoki is the column by Chris Trotter in the Sunday Star Times, 11 November 2007. It can be found at http://www.stuff.co.nz/4269648a1861.html . What does Chris know that John does not know? What does John (Minto) know that Chris does not know?
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