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Single Idea 2762

[from 'Intro to Contemporary Epistemology' by Jonathan Dancy, in 19. Language / F. Communication / 6. Interpreting Language / c. Principle of charity ]

Full Idea

One criterion for successful translation is that it show native beliefs to be largely true (Principle of Charity), and another is that it imputes to natives beliefs we can make sense of them having (Principle of Humanity).

Gist of Idea

Charity makes native beliefs largely true, and Humanity makes them similar to ours

Source

Jonathan Dancy (Intro to Contemporary Epistemology [1985], 7.4)

Book Reference

Dancy,Jonathan: 'Introduction to Contemporary Epistemology' [Blackwell 1985], p.105


A Reaction

The trouble with such guidelines is that they always have to be 'all things being equal'. Sometimes the natives are really idiotic, and sometimes their attitudes seem quite inhuman.