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Single Idea 19092

[from 'Mind and World' by John McDowell, in 12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 5. Interpretation ]

Full Idea

McDowell argues that the Myth of the Given shows not that there is no content to a concept that is not a matter of its inferential relations to other concepts but only that awareness of the sort that we enjoy ...is acquired in the course of acculturation.

Gist of Idea

There is no pure Given, but it is cultured, rather than entirely relative

Source

report of John McDowell (Mind and World [1994]) by Danielle Macbeth - Pragmatism and Objective Truth p.185

Book Reference

'New Pragmatists', ed/tr. Misak,Cheryl [OUP 2009], p.185


A Reaction

The first view is of Wilfred Sellars, who derives pragmatic relativism from his rejection of the Myth. This idea is helpful is seeing why McDowell has a good proposal. As I look out of my window, my immediate experience seems 'cultured'.