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Single Idea 22018

[filed under theme 10. Modality / C. Sources of Modality / 4. Necessity from Concepts ]

Full Idea

Fichte thought that everything that involves necessary truths - even mathematics and logic - should be shown to follow from the more basic principles involved in assertion and negation.

Gist of Idea

Necessary truths derive from basic assertion and negation

Source

report of Johann Fichte (The Science of Knowing (Wissenschaftslehre) [1st ed] [1794]) by Terry Pinkard - German Philosophy 1760-1860 05

Book Ref

Pinkard,Terry: 'German Philosophy 1760-1860' [CUP 2002], p.116

A Reaction

An interesting proposal, though I am struggling to see how it works. Fichte sees assertion and negation as foundational (Idea 22017), but I take them to be responses to the real world.

Related Idea

Idea 22017 Normativity needs the possibility of negation, in affirmation and denial [Fichte, by Pinkard]

The 13 ideas with the same theme [necessity based on relations of concepts]:

24030 3+4=7 is necessary because we cannot conceive of seven without including three and four [Descartes]
18796 Formal experience conditions show what is possible, and general conditions what is necessary [Kant]
22018 Necessary truths derive from basic assertion and negation [Fichte, by Pinkard]
15216 Is conceptual necessity just conventional, or does it mirror something about nature? [Harré/Madden]
15235 There is a conceptual necessity when properties become a standard part of a nominal essence [Harré/Madden]
16422 The necessity of a proposition concerns reality, not our words or concepts [Stalnaker]
16423 Conceptual possibilities are metaphysical possibilities we can conceive of [Stalnaker]
13810 The source of de dicto necessity is not concepts, but the actual properties of the thing [Forbes,G]
12028 De re necessity is a form of conceptual necessity, just as de dicto necessity is [Forbes,G]
11169 Conceptual necessities rest on the nature of all concepts [Fine,K]
15087 Conceptual necessities are made true by all concepts [Hale]
12436 Concept-identities explain how we know necessities, not why they are necessary [Hale]
15033 Humeans says mathematics and logic are necessary because that is how our concept of necessity works [Sider]