Does Protagoras idea that man is the measure of all things contribute to the great temptation of certainty?

Question

Does Protagoras idea that man is the measure of all things contribute to the great temptation of certainty?

Answer 1

"Measurement is the identification of a relationship —a quantitative relationship established by means of a standard that serves as a unit. Entities (and their actions) are measured by their attributes (length, weight, velocity, etc.) and the standard of measurement is a concretely specified unit representing the appropriate attribute. Thus, one measures length in inches, feet and miles—weight in pounds—velocity by means of a given distance traversed in a given time, etc.

"It is here that Protagoras’ old dictum may be given a new meaning, the opposite of the one he intended: “Man is the measure of all things.” Man is the measure, epistemologically—not metaphysically. In regard to human knowledge, man has to be the measure, since he has to bring all things into the realm of the humanly knowable. But, far from leading to subjectivism, the methods which he has to employ require the most rigorous mathematical precision, the most rigorous compliance with objective rules and facts—if the end product is to be knowledge."

Ayn Rand; "Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology"

Protagoras' idea led AWAY from certainty, because it led to subjectivism in the measurement of the meaning of "all things." There was no "rigorous mathematical precision," nor even any rigorous epistemological processes, in declaring that "all things" were whatever man decided them to be based on his need for them to be what he wished.

Two men with different subjective ideas about a "thing" may convince each other that nothing is knowable because each of them puts on such a convincing argument for his side that the other man concedes--without agreeing.

But two men using the same objective standards of measurement cannot disagree on the measurement of the "thing," even if we are talking about metaphysics, not inches and light years and microns.

Answer 2

No, his point is simply self refuting, and thus nonsense.

Answer 3

"Definitely."  ;)

Autopoiesis, or the ouroboric certitude of "as gods," is being undermined by quantum mechanics, in which kantian newtonian classical 5-sense data stream is understood to be based on a more fluid and form-less energy geometrization.

Dr. William A. Tiller's "Psychoenergetic Science," http://www.tiller.org

http://www.integralscience.org

http://www.noetic.org

http://www.heartmath.org

http://www.divinecosmos.com

http://www.sheldrake.org

http://noosphere.princeton.edu

http://www.quantumbrain.org and

http://www.tcm.phy.cam.ac.uk/~bdj10 offer some examples of this awareness.

"Kundalini West," Ann Ree Colton, examines the Eastern and Western lines of development, and indicates ways in which awareness per the Western scientific milieu is becoming more nuanced and balanced re "certitude."

"The Self-Aware Universe," Dr. Amit Goswami, "The Path of the Higher Self," Mark Prophet, and

The Mindful Universe," Dr. Henry P. Stapp, are also worthwhile in this regard.