more from this thinker     |     more from this text

Single Idea 7554

[filed under theme 12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 2. Self-Evidence ]

Full Idea

Self-evidence is often a mere will-o'-the-wisp, which is sure to lead us astray if we take it as our guide.

Clarification

A 'will-o'-the-wisp' deceives you and leads you astray

Gist of Idea

Self-evidence is often a mere will-o'-the-wisp

Source

Bertrand Russell (Mathematics and the Metaphysicians [1901], p.78)

Book Ref

Russell,Bertrand: 'Mysticism and Logic' [Unwin 1989], p.78

A Reaction

The sort of nice crisp remark you would expect from a good empiricist philosopher. Compare Idea 4948. However Russell qualifies it with the word 'often', and all philosophers eventually realise that you have to start somewhere.

Related Idea

Idea 4948 Intuition is the strongest possible evidence one can have about anything [Kripke]

The 23 ideas with the same theme [knowledge that is immediately grasped or obvious]:

483 Start a thesis with something undisputable [Diogenes of Apollonia]
23356 Self-evidence is most obvious when people who deny a proposition still have to use it [Epictetus]
21249 Some things are self-evident to us; others are only self-evident in themselves [Aquinas]
22128 Augustine's 'illumination' theory of knowledge leads to nothing but scepticism [Duns Scotus, by Dumont]
24025 Clear and distinct truths must be known all at once (unlike deductions) [Descartes]
21253 Descartes needs to demonstrate how other people can attain his clear and distinct conceptions [Leibniz]
23635 Truths are self-evident to sensible persons who understand them clearly without prejudice [Reid]
9348 Experienceless bodies have space; propertyless bodies have substance; this must be seen a priori [Kant]
8657 Mathematicians just accept self-evidence, whether it is logical or intuitive [Frege]
16887 Frege's concept of 'self-evident' makes no reference to minds [Frege, by Burge]
22205 Feelings of self-evidence (and necessity) are just the inventions of theory [Husserl]
21216 Husserl says we have intellectual intuitions (of categories), as well as of the senses [Husserl, by Velarde-Mayol]
7554 Self-evidence is often a mere will-o'-the-wisp [Russell]
5412 Some propositions are self-evident, but their implications may also be self-evident [Russell]
5413 Particular instances are more clearly self-evident than any general principles [Russell]
5415 As shown by memory, self-evidence comes in degrees [Russell]
5416 If self-evidence has degrees, we should accept the more self-evident as correct [Russell]
16907 If the truth doesn't follow from self-evidence, then self-evidence cannot justify a truth [Wittgenstein]
9379 A sentence is obvious if it is true, and any speaker of the language will instantly agree to it [Quine]
8887 It is hard to give the concept of 'self-evident' a clear and defensible characterization [Bonjour]
13480 Fregean self-evidence is an intrinsic property of basic truths, rules and definitions [Hart,WD]
6414 Two propositions might seem self-evident, but contradict one another [Grayling]
9597 There are 'armchair' truths which are not a priori, because experience was involved [Williamson]