more from Bertrand Russell

Single Idea 5382

[catalogued under 12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 1. Empiricism]

Full Idea

We have acquaintance with outer senses, with inner sense (by introspection), with memory (of outer or inner sensations), with a Self (probably), and also with universals (general ideas).

Gist of Idea

We are acquainted with outer and inner sensation, memory, Self, and universals

Source

report of Bertrand Russell (Problems of Philosophy [1912], Ch. 5) by PG - Db (ideas)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'The Problems of Philosophy' [OUP 1995], p.28


A Reaction

The spectacular odd one out in a basic empiricist theory is, of course, universals, when one expects some sort of nominalist reduction of those into sense-data. I am very sympathetic to the Russell line, though it spells big ontological trouble.