2.86
There’s an analogous problem to that of neutrality in using practicality to ground a situation. ‘Why do you draw maps this way?’ ‘Because they reflect our needs and wants.’ While this isn’t wrong per se, it glosses too quickly. If we take ourselves as confronted by facts that we assemble or organize in line with our values, as though we’re self-directing or self-starting, then we’ve taken our will or freedom out of play (i.e., directing the play from afar). However, it’s also wrong to say we have no choice and that the context completely demands how things are to be, as though the situation itself is what’s out of play.
Rather, we, in and with and as part of the context, make choices and decisions; we interact dialogically with the world. Practical aims are part of the world.
‘Why do you draw maps this way?’ – Any reason I provide is a description of what I already do. But remember! Descriptions aren’t neutral. They explain the situation; they explain why I do what I do. They’re tautological (in a broad sense). Good reasons make sense within a context.