I've heard the phrase "It's just common sense!" more than enough times in my life, as I'm sure everyone else will agree, but in our postmodern era of discourse and multiplicity the 'common' in common sense isn't so absolute anymore. Chapter Four discusses how we CANNOT assume that common sense emerges as a natural act. On the contrary, common sense is a result of context and interpretation, the result of a unique combination of public admission and accountability. When analyzing what we see as common sense we must take into account that demanding conformity from others to our own 'common' beliefs is unethical. There is no one standard for common sense in our postmodern world. In addition, finding ways to make our own common sense publicly known and visible will ensure that our articulation of our underlying goods is most likely to be interpreted correctly.
It's true. Common sense isn't innate or 'common' in the least. It is a personal by-product of what we've known or practiced ourselves, what's familiar. Imposing our personal experiences as universal truths doesn't gel anymore. Think about it: "It's supposed to be a man and a woman. It's just common sense!", "Girls aren't supposed to wear pants. It's just common sense!", "Of course the earth is flat. It's common sense!". My personal favorite: "Kids drink in college. It's common sense." Uh...I would disagree. Something that's common knowledge or common practice for one person might seem entirely odd or strange to another. Like the chapter title says, the 'beauty' of life lies in the theories of the eyes of the beholder. My theories about life, about how things work and are supposed to be, are in no way exactly the same as another's.
I quite like the visual that the chapter provides, a patchwork quilt of common sense(s). Each person has their own stories, their own values, their own goods, their own beliefs. All those things contribute to their view of what's common sense. Intersectionality and multiplicity at their finest.
I, too, really like the metaphor of a patchwork quilt to piece together various understandings of common sense. People have various "standpoints" that construct their world. Standpoints can affect the way you view the world and it is what makes you different; in which the quilt pieces together all these small understandings.
ReplyDeleteAs you say that "the beauty of life lies in the theories of the eyes of the beholder," we must also remember that theories can blind people. In which the author also introduces the idea that the beauty is in the "eye(s) of the beholder," that one eye is open and the other is covered. The covered eye represents the fact that although theories can guide us and offer vision, they can also keep us blind and limit our ability to see other things. As we talked about in class, it is a choice whether we want to learn from each other or not. But one way to create a "common sense" is to participate in common practices, as stated in the text.