Single Idea 16485

[catalogued under 12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 5. Empiricism Critique]

Full Idea

Propositions about 'some' may be proved empirically, but propositions about 'all' are difficult to know, and can't be proved unless such propositions are in the premisses. These aren't in perception, so forgo general propositions, or abandon empiricism?

Gist of Idea

Perception can't prove universal generalisations, so abandon them, or abandon empiricism?

Source

Bertrand Russell (An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth [1940], 5)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth' [Penguin 1967], p.86


A Reaction

This is obviously related to the difficulty empiricists have with induction. You could hardly persuade logicians to give up the universal quantifier, because it is needed in mathematics. Do we actually know any universal empirical truths?