How does “collaboration” occur at all? Remarks on epistemological issues related to understanding / working with ‘the other’.
Journal Title/Source
Dialogue and Universalism: Journal of the International Society for Universal Dialogue
Publication Date
3-2016
Volume
26
Page Numbers
137-144
DOI (if applicable)
http://dialogueanduniversalism.eu/index.php/12016-human-identity/
Document Type
Journal Article
Department
School of Education, Leadership, and Public Service
Abstract
Collaboration must be based on careful representation and communication of each stakeholder’s knowledge. Using a foundational logical and epistemological point of view, we explore how such representation and communication can be accomplished. We tentatively conclude, based on careful delineation of logical technicalities necessarily involved in such representation and communication, that currently a complete representation is not possible. This inference, if correct, is discouraging. However, we suggest two actions. First, we can strive to make stakeholders more aware of the incompleteness of knowledge representations. Second, moderating one’s certainty of “Truth” should increase each stakeholder’s humility, thereby promoting the efficacy of collaborations.
Recommended Citation
Faust, D., & Puncochar, J. (2016, March). How does “collaboration” occur at all? Remarks on epistemological issues related to understanding / working with ‘the other’. Dialogue and Universalism: Journal of the International Society for Universal Dialogue, 26, 137-144. Retrieved from http://dialogueanduniversalism.eu/index.php/12016-human-identity/
Comments
Based on a 2015 conference paper for the Society of Values in Higher Education.