green numbers give full details | back to texts | unexpand this idea
4298 | All items of possible human knowledge are interconnected, and can be reached by inference |
Full Idea: All the items of knowledge that lie within the reach of the human mind are linked together with a marvellous bond, and can be derived from each other by necessary inferences. | |||
From: René Descartes (unfinished dialogue [1649]) | |||
A reaction: It does seem that God ought to be able to infer all empirical facts from first principles. But how do you get started? |