more from Paul O'Grady

Single Idea 4725

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / E. Relativism / 2. Knowledge as Convention]

Full Idea

Contextualist about knowledge say that "to know" means different things in different context. For example, a warehouse may be empty for a furniture owner, but not for a bacteriologist or a physicist.

Gist of Idea

Contextualism says that knowledge is relative to its context; 'empty' depends on your interests

Source

Paul O'Grady (Relativism [2002], Ch.4)

Book Reference

O'Grady,Paul: 'Relativism' [Acumen 2002], p.105


A Reaction

There is obviously some truth in this, but we might say that 'empty' is a secondary quality, or that 'empty for furniture' is not relative. We needn't accept relativism here.