Single Idea 18004

[catalogued under 2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 8. Category Mistake / a. Category mistakes]

Full Idea

We are in the dark about the nature of philosophical problems and methods if we are in the dark about types and categories.

Gist of Idea

We can't do philosophy without knowledge of types and categories

Source

Gilbert Ryle (Categories [1938], p.189), quoted by Ofra Magidor - Category Mistakes 1.2

Book Reference

Magidor,Ofra: 'Category Mistakes' [OUP 2013], p.8


A Reaction

Magidor and others take this to be an assertion about language and logic, but I take it to be an assertion about reality. It is an early assertion of Schaffer's claim that ontology concerns the structure of existence, and not just what exists.

Related Idea

Idea 13748 Grounding is unanalysable and primitive, and is the basic structuring concept in metaphysics [Schaffer,J]