Single Idea 14918

[catalogued under 12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 5. Empiricism Critique]

Full Idea

If to be an empiricist is to believe that 'experience is the sole source of information about the world', the problem is that this does not itself seem to be justifiable by experience.

Gist of Idea

The doctrine of empiricism does not itself seem to be empirically justified

Source

J Ladyman / D Ross (Every Thing Must Go [2007], 2.3.1)

Book Reference

Ladyman,J/Ross,D: 'Every Thing Must Go' [OUP 2007], p.98


A Reaction

[The quotation is from Van Fraassen 1985 p.253] This is the classic 'turning the tables' move in argument, invented by the Greeks. It is hard to offer anything other than intuition in the first move of any metaphysical theory.