Abstract
AbstractThis paper explores some of the implications of post‐positivism for water knowledge by answering the question: what is good water knowledge? I use Plato's four cardinal virtues, i.e. Fortitude, Temperance, Prudence and Justice, to answer the question. Fortitude means acknowledging that there are many different ways of making sense of water realities. Dominance of one view of reality over others may be related as much to the fact that it is the view of those in power, as to the accuracy with which it represents reality. Temperance refers to modesty about what is knowable. In water, it refers to the acceptance that there is much in water that we do not and cannot predict or know. Prudence refers to the wisdom to choose what is right (true) or wrong (false). It implies that producers of knowledge should be held accountable for the implications of their truth claims. And finally, Justice refers to the acknowledgement that the final test of water knowledge is not Truth, but a better world. The implication is that ideas, beliefs and visions about what a better world is should become an intrinsic part of water knowledge. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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