more from Donald Davidson

Single Idea 6400

[catalogued under 12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 5. Empiricism Critique]

Full Idea

The third dogma of empiricism is the dualism of scheme and content, of organizing system and something waiting to be organized, which cannot be made intelligible and defensible. If we give it up, it is not clear that any distinctive empiricism remains.

Clarification

A 'dogma' is an uncritical assumption

Gist of Idea

Without the dualism of scheme and content, not much is left of empiricism

Source

Donald Davidson (The Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme [1974], p.189)

Book Reference

Davidson,Donald: 'Inquiries into Truth and Interpretation (2nd ed)' [OUP 2001], p.189


A Reaction

The first two dogmas were 'analyticity' and 'reductionism', as identified by Quine in 1953. Presumably Hume's Principles of Association (Idea 2189) would be an example of a scheme. A key issue is whether there is any 'pure' content.

Related Idea

Idea 2189 All ideas are connected by Resemblance, Contiguity in time or place, and Cause and Effect [Hume]