more from Quentin Meillassoux

Single Idea 19656

[catalogued under 2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 3. Non-Contradiction]

Full Idea

The principle of non-contradiction itself is without reason, and consequently it can only be the norm for what is thinkable by us, rather than for what is possible in the absolute sense.

Gist of Idea

Non-contradiction is unjustified, so it only reveals a fact about thinking, not about reality?

Source

Quentin Meillassoux (After Finitude; the necessity of contingency [2006], 2)

Book Reference

Meillassoux: 'After Finitude: the necessity of contingency', ed/tr. Brassier,R [Bloomsbury 2008], p.41


A Reaction

This is not Meillassoux's view, but describes the modern heresy of 'correlationism', which ties all assessments of how reality is to our capacity to think about it. Personally I take logical non-contradiction to derive from non-contradiction in nature.