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Single Idea 22760

[filed under theme 13. Knowledge Criteria / C. External Justification / 3. Reliabilism / a. Reliable knowledge ]

Full Idea

The madman is a trustworthy criterion of the appearances which occur in madness.

Gist of Idea

Madmen are reliable reporters of what appears to them

Source

Sextus Empiricus (Against the Logicians (two books) [c.180], I.062)

Book Ref

Sextus Empiricus: 'Against the Logicians', ed/tr. Bury,R.G. [Harvard Loeb 1997], p.33

A Reaction

It is hard to conceive of an genuinely insane person deliberately misreporting their hallucinations. They are, of course, the sole witness.

The 5 ideas from 'Against the Logicians (two books)'

22759 Fools, infants and madmen may speak truly, but do not know [Sext.Empiricus]
22760 Madmen are reliable reporters of what appears to them [Sext.Empiricus]
22762 Some properties are inseparable from a thing, such as the length, breadth and depth of a body [Sext.Empiricus]
22763 We can only dream of a winged man if we have experienced men and some winged thing [Sext.Empiricus]
22764 Ordinary speech is not exact about what is true; we say we are digging a well before the well exists [Sext.Empiricus]