Ideas from 'Two Dogmas of Empiricism' by Willard Quine [1953], by Theme Structure

[found in 'From a Logical Point of View' by Quine,Willard [Harper and Row 1963,0-06-130566-9]].

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1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 3. Metaphysical Systems

1627	Any statement can be held true if we make enough adjustment to the rest of the system

2. Reason / D. Definition / 1. Definitions

1623	Definition rests on synonymy, rather than explaining it

5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / f. Names eliminated

9204	Quine's arguments fail because he naively conflates names with descriptions [Fine,K]

6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 4. Mathematical Empiricism / a. Mathematical empiricism

17738

Quine blurs the difference between knowledge of arithmetic and of physics [Jenkins]

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / e. Ontological commitment problems

19492

Quine is hopeless circular, deriving ontology from what is literal, and 'literal' from good ontology [Yablo]

9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 1. Physical Objects

1628	If physical objects are a myth, they are useful for making sense of experience

9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 15. Against Essentialism

10929

Aristotelian essence of the object has become the modern essence of meaning

10. Modality / A. Necessity / 6. Logical Necessity

12188

Contrary to some claims, Quine does not deny logical necessity [McFetridge]

10. Modality / A. Necessity / 11. Denial of Necessity

15090

Quine's attack on the analytic-synthetic distinction undermined necessary truths [Shoemaker]

12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 8. A Priori as Analytic

9383	Metaphysical analyticity (and linguistic necessity) are hopeless, but epistemic analyticity is a priori [Boghossian]

12424

Quine challenges the claim that analytic truths are knowable a priori [Kitcher]

12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 11. Denying the A Priori

9338	Quine's objections to a priori knowledge only work in the domain of science [Horwich]

9337	Science is empirical, simple and conservative; any belief can hence be abandoned; so no a priori [Horwich]

9340	Logic, arithmetic and geometry are revisable and a posteriori; quantum logic could be right [Horwich]

12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 1. Empiricism

1620	Empiricism makes a basic distinction between truths based or not based on facts

1629	Our outer beliefs must match experience, and our inner ones must be simple

12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 5. Empiricism Critique

19488

The second dogma is linking every statement to some determinate observations [Yablo]

14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 6. Theory Holism

1625	Statements about the external world face the tribunal of sense experience as a corporate body

19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 1. Meaning

1626	It is troublesome nonsense to split statements into a linguistic and a factual component

19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 8. Synonymy

7317	'Renate' and 'cordate' have identical extensions, but are not synonymous [Miller,A]

19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 10. Denial of Meanings

1621	Once meaning and reference are separated, meaning ceases to seem important

19. Language / E. Analyticity / 1. Analytic Propositions

9371	Analytic statements are either logical truths (all reinterpretations) or they depend on synonymy

19. Language / E. Analyticity / 4. Analytic/Synthetic Critique

8803	Erasing the analytic/synthetic distinction got rid of meanings, and saved philosophy of language [Davidson]

17737

The analytic needs excessively small units of meaning and empirical confirmation [Jenkins]

1622	Did someone ever actually define 'bachelor' as 'unmarried man'?

1624	If we try to define analyticity by synonymy, that leads back to analyticity

9366	Quine's attack on analyticity undermined linguistic views of necessity, and analytic views of the a priori [Boghossian]

14473

Quine attacks the Fregean idea that we can define analyticity through synonyous substitution [Thomasson]

7321	The last two parts of 'Two Dogmas' are much the best [Miller,A]