Full Idea
All inculcation of meanings of words must rest ultimately on sensory evidence.
Gist of Idea
Inculcations of meanings of words rests ultimately on sensory evidence
Source
Willard Quine (Epistemology Naturalized [1968], p.75)
Book Reference
Quine,Willard: 'Ontological Relativity and Other Essays' [Columbia 1969], p.75
A Reaction
This betrays Quine's behaviourist tendencies, and rules out introspection, definitions and inferences. Quine's conclusion is fairly total scepticism about meaning, but that is not surprising, given his external and meaningless starting point.