more from Willard Quine

Single Idea 17737

[catalogued under 19. Language / E. Analyticity / 4. Analytic/Synthetic Critique]

Full Idea

Quine rejects the analytic on the grounds that it assumes a smaller unit of meaning than a total theory, and he does not think it makes sense to talk about such smaller units of meaning because there are no smaller units of empirical confirmation.

Gist of Idea

The analytic needs excessively small units of meaning and empirical confirmation

Source

report of Willard Quine (Two Dogmas of Empiricism [1953]) by Carrie Jenkins - Grounding Concepts 7.5

Book Reference

Jenkins,Carrie: 'Grounding Concepts' [OUP 2008], p.214


A Reaction

A very helpful account of the famous Quine argument, showing how it arises out of his particular holistic view of empiricism.