Single Idea 21360

[catalogued under 1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / a. Philosophy as worldly]

Full Idea

Those whom devotion to abstract discussions has rendered unobservant of the facts are too ready to dogmatise on the basis of a few observations.

Gist of Idea

Unobservant thinkers tend to dogmatise using insufficient facts

Source

Aristotle (Coming-to-be and Passing-away (Gen/Corr) [c.335 BCE], 316a09)

Book Reference

Aristotle: 'The Basic Works of Aristotle', ed/tr. McKeon,Richard [Modern Library Classics 2001], p.474


A Reaction

I totally approve of the idea that a good philosopher should be 'observant'. Prestige in modern analytic philosophy comes from logical ability. There should be some rival criterion for attentiveness to facts, with equal prestige.

Related Idea

Idea 18559 Philosophy is empty if it does not in some way depend on matters of fact [Machery]