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Full Idea
One can make a powerful case for supposing that some self-knowledge is a priori. At most, if not all, of our waking moments, each of us knows of herself that she exists.
Gist of Idea
We have some self-knowledge a priori, such as knowledge of our own existence
Source
Philip Kitcher (The Nature of Mathematical Knowledge [1984], 01.6)
Book Ref
Kitcher,Philip: 'The Nature of Mathematical Knowledge' [OUP 1984], p.29
A Reaction
This is a begrudging concession from a strong opponent to the whole notion of a priori knowledge. I suppose if you ask 'what can be known by thought alone?' then truths about thought ought to be fairly good initial candidates.
| 12518 | The mind cannot produce simple ideas [Locke] |
| 5567 | A priori the understanding can only anticipate possible experiences [Kant] |
| 16914 | A priori intuition of objects is only possible by containing the form of my sensibility [Kant] |
| 16909 | Logic is a priori because we cannot think illogically [Wittgenstein] |
| 12416 | We have some self-knowledge a priori, such as knowledge of our own existence [Kitcher] |
| 9339 | A priori knowledge (e.g. classical logic) may derive from the innate structure of our minds [Horwich] |
| 3913 | Maybe imagination is the source of a priori justification [Casullo] |