The Metaphysics of Epistemology: Lectures by Wilfrid Sellars

363 Pages·1989·19.39 MB·English

by  Wilfrid Sellars

THE
METAPHYSICS
OF EPISTEMOLOGY
LectubryeW si lfSreildl ars
editbeyd
PedrVo.A maral
RidgeviPeuwb lishCion.g
Copyright©
1989
byR idgePvuibelwi sChoimnpga ny
Alrli grhetsse rved.
Nop arotft hbioso mka yb er eproduced
oru tilizaendfy o irnomr b ya nmye ans,
electroirmc eaclh aniinccallu,d ing
photocorpeycionrgod,rbi yna gn y
informastitoonroaarrlg ee tr iseyvsatle m,
withworuitt pteernm isfsriotomhn e
copyroiwgnhetr .
Quotoensp p. froRmo derick
272,2 922079,922 ,9, 5 -319
Chisholm, pp.
TheooryKf n owgel1,e9 d662,2 2,84 ,04 ,44 ,75 ,05 ,3 -55,
Reprinted byo fPp reernmtiicsesI-inHocan.l ,l ,
59-86228,,3 .
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Prinitnte hdUe n itSetda otfeA sm erica
byT homson-ISnhco.r e,
TiieMe taphyosfEi pciss tleomgoy v
Contents
Preface viii
LecturOeb jectKsn oowfdl gee
1
1
:
WhaitsI nvolivnKe ndo wing?
1
TypeosfK nowing
6
BasaincdD erivaKtniovwel edge
7
BasFiacc ts
10
TypeosfE xistence
14
Itnersubjectivity 17
ThinkablMeesa nainndg s
22
Seeing 25
SeeianngdB elieving
28
VeridaincdMa ils taPkeernc eption
31
Objects
44
QualiTtyipeeassn: d Divisions
46
Foramn dC ontent
51
Forwmi thCoountt ent
53
Summary 56
LecturPee rception and Reality
61
2
:
PrivWaotrel ds
61
Phenomenalism
69
Summary
76
ConditPiroinvaEalxt pee riences
78
TheoorfyA ppearing
82
A PinIkc Ceu be
90
Looks
92
PerceptiSopno natnadnB eeoluise f 95
AppreheonrsS ieonns ation
103
vi Contents
RecognAist ion 107
AnE xampPlaei:n 110
SensaatnidBoe nl ief 115
Lectur:F ea catnsdR epresentation 121
3
OccurrBeenlti efs 121
BelIienf 125
ExperiAesn ce 130
DirectannedTs rsu th 135
Facts 139
Attributes 145
Second-Aotrtdreirba untdFea sc ts 148
Necessity 151
TheA PrioarnidN ecessity 154
LecturRea itonalainsdEm m piricism 165
4
:
Rationalism 165
CausaalnidCt -yE ntailment 170
Third-AOtrtdreirba untdMe -sE ntailm1e7n7t
MilRda tionaanldIi nsdmu ction 184
'Probably' 198
ConceEpmtp iricism 195
Logical Concepts 199
ConceNpotn -Empiricism
203
EntailamnedAn sts ociation 210
Representation 214
ObservaiS negq uence 217
ProbabEinltiittyl,ae nmdIe nnfte renc2e2 3
LecturMee aning 229
5:
TheD omaionfM eanings 229
Quotation 232
"'und"' and 'the lion2'3 4
'Meaannsd a'n d 'M'eaannds" 238
ThMee taphoyfE spiicsst emology vii
'Meaannsd'C lassification 241
'Means'' Staanfndod rs' 245
ThinkainndVg e rbBaelh aviorism 250
Classifaincda tLiionng uistic 2P5a1t terns
ThinkainndLg a nguaging 254
Lectur:Ke n owlgeeda ndR epresentati2o6n7
6
TheE vident 267
Knowledge Eavnidd eTnhte 273
GetttionT gh eI nrdeicEtlvyi dent 278
Self-preSsteantteisn g 282
BeliePveirncge ptions 291
SomPer inciples 295
Confiiromanan tdC oncurrence 301
TheS tatoufts h Per inciples 306
CritCiocgatnlii vism 311
Knowledge 318
Trutahn dM eaning 323
ThoughVtesr:bB aelh aviorism 331
Bibliography 343
viii Preface
Preafc e
WilfrSiedl lagrasv et heslee ctudruerisn gt hef alolf1 795
for cal asisnm etapyhsicasn d epistemoalne oxgtyr:e mely
creatipveer ioddu rinwgh ichh e was develtohpei nlgi nes
oft hougwhhti cahp peart hiMen a tchFeotutned aLteicotnu res,
theC aruLse ctu"rSeosme,R e flectioonn Pse rceptual Con­
sciousne"sTso,w"a radT sh eoroyfP redicat"iTohneA, d"v er­
biaTlh eoroyf tOhbej ecotfsS ensati"oSne,n"s oarS ensings:
Reflectoino ntsOh net oloogyfP erceptiaonnd"" ,G ivenness
andE xplanatCoorhye rencTeh.e"l ectunroet es hbaeveen
supplemenbtyeS de llaorwsn'n otewsh eni ta ppeared that
ano bvioucso rrectwiaosn ionr der.
Sincea ttendSeedl lalresc't urbeost ha sa studeanntd ,
I
subseeqnutlays,a proctaonrd t utoIrc ,a ns ayt haSte llars
wasc onsisltyel nutkewaramb outth ep rospeocfst e eitnhge m
publishiendt heiprr esefnotr mW.h enevewre discussed
thipso ssiilbithye,i nsisttehda It a ddh isl atetrh eoroyf
predicatpiroens:u mabsloy t hato ne couldf ollotwh e
developmoefnh ti st houghItw .o uldt,h erefcoaruet,i aonny ­
onea gaintsatk intgh ef ormulatioofnt sh ec laimmsa de
withitno bree flectoifoh nissc onsidevrieedw sC.u riously
enought,h e extemporaneouso fct hhaelr eaccttuetrrue rsn s
outt ob ea virtuSee.l lawrrsi't tweonr ksa ren otoriofuosr
a concision boonro dbesrciunrgiB tyyc .o ntrahsitsl, e ctures
werec leasro,m ewharte petitfiuvloelfa, c ertawirnyh umor,
andf requenptulnyc tuabtye dc artoaonndas n ecdotWehsi.l e
somea ttemhpats b eent oe liminraeted undaenxta mples,
passagreesm aiwnh icwho uldb em orea pporpriaitnea lec­
tursee tting.
Theslee ctuprreosv ide optphoer tuntioot bys erav sey s­
tematpihci losopdhoeirn pgh ilosophhiys,t oricIanal dldyi. ­
tion, sSienlcleaa rlsw aymsa nagetdo w eaveh isp resent
concerinnst o dtihsec usstihoenay,l spor oviadp ee rspective
fromw hicht ov iewt hep hilosophpiacpaelrp su blishbeed­
tween1 97948-2W1h.e nevearp propriIah taev,ea nnotated
ix
Preface
thet exitno rdteora ssiinsc to rreltahtleie ncgt uarneds
philosowprhiitcianlg s.
Considereafbflhoearb ste etna kteonp resetrhvpeei c­
tures drawn durWiintgh otduhites tmc,hul esce stiuorne.s
woulbdeq ualitadtiifvfeeAlrsyeS netl.lo anrcrsee marked,
"Thter aditwiaoyon fa ll ooktihnignw gaassit n t ermosf
ap ictaunrdIem ea'np ictluirteeb're aclaluayssW e i,t tg·e n-
stecionr reecmtplhyza espsih,i losoopfdh iefrfsep reernstu a­
sioanrshe y pnotbiydz iefdf epriecnttuL rietse.pr iacltluyr es,
litdtilaeg ramtsh etdyhr aatw t himena rgionfs tmhaeni­r
uscrwiphtiscm ha yn oetv egne t inhteoa ortfth ett heex t.
Buty,o uc an rae pahdi losowpohrekar,n' dsp retstoyo n
youc ainl lusittIrh. aa tveae l wabyese vne rcya ndyiodu:
cainl luswthraaItst aeby e caIup sreo vtihdieel lutsitornas."
Asa r esuSletl,l laercst'tu erentsdob ev ercyi nemTahtiec .
pictaurrheeis ms e ansg aoifn qiunigec nkt irnyta d oi alogue
witahlc ll aspshiiclaols ohpeuh seerss :at shp elmah coel ders
fovra ritoruasd itviioenwTashl.e lseec teuxrheistb hiweta y
thpei ctusreertsvo ef octuhsde i scusasnidto orn e present
thfel owh itoshf e oritzhieanyrgp e:r ogresesmibveelllyi shed
becomaitlna gs,pt h,i losompehtiacpahilont r hseo iwrn right.
ChishoTlhme'oosfrK yn owlaendRdgu es seTlhPle'r so blems
ofP hilofsoorpmhteyhd le o coufsS elllaercst'ua rnedtsh ey
arev aluacbolmep aniHoenp sr.e sehnitses p istemology
mucha fttehref a shoifoK na ntP'rsog loemeTnhaet. i tolfe
thbeo ok is meantth istsio m irleiafcrtloi etmcyeft,sr oam
commeSnetl larmsa doceno cnec erKnainnteg'p si stemology:
"Kadnote nso tth itnhkaw teh avaer igthost a tyh at there
isa l ectiunir net lsafsa t hiinnig et lsifni tosw nr igHhet .
certatihnilntykh sat th eirsse o methsionmgae,s peocft the
ini etlswfh icihsa c ounteorfp atlrhetec t uorfcn o:u rhsee
did. hSeii nsac m ee taphyshiicmsia aipnno, i insta, sy ou
mighstu speac tm,e taphysoinceap le rtaitnion g
epistemIotlp'oasgr oyt.fh imse taphyosfei pciss temology
thawtec ans'at'Ay hat!h awth iccho rrestpoto hnlede sc turn
isa p lurality oorft hmawothn iaccdhos r,ro ensdptsot he
lectiusarf ne atoufGr oed B.u'st t itlhle,ir saec ounterpart
oft hlee ctnuartnu;r haetl alkyie ts g froarn t(eTdhc.eo" n text
isK antc'rsi tiocfLi esimb nAi2z8,4 ff.)
x Prfecae
Thel ectudreevse lao mpe taphyosfei pciss temology.
Frofma isrplayr bseeg inniinLn egcst 1uw rhee rheer aises
theq uestion,i sa "noW bhjate cSte?l,l"da ervse lops the
metaphyfsoiucnadlao tfei poins temcoolmopglwyei ttceho n­
comitoanntto lLoegcyt.2u b reeg iwnist h exaanm ination
ofc lasasciccoaulon fot uskr n owleodftg hei nsgesn:ds aet um
theorpiheesn,o menaanldit shmte,h eoorfay p pearing. It
endbsyi ndictahteeix ntget not· whtihcethsh ee ories contain
valuaibnlsei gthhtaostu ghttob ep reserved3.e xL­ecture
plortehmsee taphypsriecsaulp pousndietriloycnilsna gs sical
theoroifke nso wleWdhgaeat:r teh oeb jeocfbt esl iHeofw?
arteh eayp preheHnodwed do?w ek notwh mee anionfg
generparli nciFpollelso?wR iunsgs eelxlp'oss iitnTi hoen
ProblofeP mhsi losLoecpth4uyr r,ae i tsheqesu est"iHoonws
isa priokrnio wleodfgg een eprrailn cpiopslseisba lned? "
"Howc awne k nogwe neprraolp osiwthieotnnh ser ye fer
toc aswehsi cwhe c anneoxta minLee?c"t5 ud reev elaonp­s
swetrost heqsuee stbiyos nhso witnhgat thc ea tegionr­ies
volvienkd n owignegn eprraolp osiatrnieoo ctnas t egories
pertaitnoc ionngc ebputctsa tegpoerriteasit noli inngg uistic
kindTshe.l atatreperr opedrelawyli ttw hi thtihnce o ntext
ofa t heoorfmy e aniTnhge.r eftohrteeh ,e oorfmy e aning
underriwttehsae n alyosfji sust iftireubdee lainedfh, e nce,
knowleFdignea.Ll elcyt,u rfeo cuesaersl diiesrt inctions
6
upotnh oCsaer tetshieaonro ifke nso lwedbgaes eudp on
the Moyftt hhGe i ven.
SinSceel leaxrpsl omreetsa phfyrsoiwmci st hifnr atmhee­
worokfc laspshiiclaols noopothn yld,yo etsh per ocpersos­
vidaen o vervoifec wl asspircoabllc eomnsc erontihnegr
mindpse,r cepktnuoawll eadngdse e nsocroyn sciousness,
but aal fsoor ufmo dre velotphiiens gs ufeoswr h ich he
beliehvehe asas n sweCrosn.s equewnhtevlniy e,w ferdo m
anotpheerrs pehcitlsie vcet,au rraeen si ntrodutcoct oino­n
temporpahriyl osoofmp ihnyd .
Thibso owka sw ritwtietnth h seu ppoorfat f aculty
developgmreanfntrto Cmal ifoSrtnaiUtane i verFsrietsyn,o
undetrha eu spiocfAe rst hWuirn t.
lo wea gredaetb ttoJ effFr.Se iyc hwah,os ervaesd
manuscreidpitt Hoirss. e nosfee xposictloarrcyio tuyp,l ed
xi
Preface
witha thorougkhn owledogfe Sellvaireswp's r ovetdo b e
invaluaTbhlees .p ecial chaplrleesnegnebtsye a dn i llustrated
philosoptheyx rte quirfeadrm oret hant her outicnoem ­
mentarhyi;s c ontributmiaodnest he fiwnoarlk p ossible.
WilfriSde lladresm onstraatned e normouasm ount of
patientcher oughotuhtip sr ojeacntd w ask inde nougtho
answeqru estioanbso utth en otewsh enm y recollection
proveidn adequaRtiei.tVt eap salainen contthrebi absuitce d
artw orkw;e apoliozgef ort hew ayw e treatietd.
PedrVo. A maral
CaliforSntiaatU en iversiFtrye,s no