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Single Idea 6310

[from 'Word and Object' by Willard Quine, in 1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 6. Metaphysics as Conceptual ]

Full Idea

No enquiry is possible without some conceptual scheme, so we may as well retain and use the best one we know.

Gist of Idea

Enquiry needs a conceptual scheme, so we should retain the best available

Source

Willard Quine (Word and Object [1960], §01)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Word and Object' [MIT 1969], p.4


A Reaction

This remark leads to Davidson's splendid paper 'On the Very Idea of a Conceptual Scheme'. Quine's remark raises the question of how we know which conceptual scheme is 'best'.