Response to Phil Hodkinson

Abstract

In phronetic research the understanding of validity claims is hermeneutic, not objectivistic. Thus I relate validity claims to interpretation and I oppose the view that any one among a number of interpretations lacks value because it is “merely” an interpretation. The key point here is the establishment of a better alternative, where “better” is defined according to sets of non-foundational validity claims. If a better interpretation demonstrates the previous interpretation to be “merely” interpretation, this new interpretation remains valid until another, still better interpretation is produced which can reduce the previous interpretation to “merely” interpretation. And so on.