Single Idea 6898

[catalogued under 11. Knowledge Aims / B. Certain Knowledge / 3. Fallibilism]

Full Idea

Fallibilism is the view, proposed by Peirce, and found in Reichenbach, Popper, Quine etc that all knowledge-claims are provisional and in principle revisable, or that the possibility of error is ever-present.

Clarification

'Fallible' means could be wrong

Gist of Idea

Fallibilism is the view that all knowledge-claims are provisional

Source

Thomas Mautner (Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy [1996], p.194)

Book Reference

Mautner,Thomas: 'Dictionary of Philosophy' [Penguin 1997], p.194


A Reaction

I think of this as footnote to all thought which reads "Note 1: but you never quite know". Personally I would call myself a fallibilist, and am surprise at anyone who doesn't. The point is that this does not negate 'knowledge'. I am fairly sure 2+3=5.