Questions tagged [analytic-synthetic-divide]

Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
7 votes
2 answers
854 views

If one agrees with Quine's dissolution of the Analytic/Synthetic distinction, what is left of Kant's epistemology?

One of Kant's most important (if not the most important) result is his argument (proof?) that synthetic a priori knowledge is possible. If one agrees with Quine's argument against Analyticity as being ...
Alexander S King's user avatar
12 votes
9 answers
930 views

Is there any reason to believe that there are things which science cannot tell us?

Science can only tell us a posteriori synthetic truths, can this category extend to all propositions about the world. Surely the only things which can by known ONLY by a priori analytic are ...
user12096's user avatar
  • 121
-4 votes
3 answers
416 views

Does this reformulation of the the analytic / synthetic distinction overcome Quine's objections?

He seemed to be asserting that synonymity cannot possibly be defined in a non-circular way. We attempt to show this is false on the basis of defining the Quine/Carnap example in a non-circular way. ...
polcott's user avatar
  • 415
6 votes
2 answers
1k views

Kant's analytic/synthetic propositions

In the Critique of Pure Reason, an example of an analytic proposition is that all bodies are extended, and an example of a synthetic proposition is that all bodies are heavy (A7|B11), however in the ...
user24368's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
124 views

Has anyone discussed the analytic vs synthetic in algebra?

Let's go back to the original meanings of addition and multiplication back in ancient Sumer when arithmetic was primarily used as a tool in the trade of sheep and beer. Addition meant something like ...
David Gudeman's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
210 views

Why does it matter whether knowledge is synthetic or analytic?

I have done some reading around Kant's idea of splitting knowledge into synthetic and analytic. I don't understand why does this split matter, knowledge could be split in other way by different ...
Matas Vaitkevicius's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
190 views

On Searle's _Proper Names_ (1958)

I just read Searle's article Proper Names (1958) which was published before Kripke's seminal take on the subject in Naming and Necessity (1980). I think it is a very lucid article but I have a ...
Cherry Blossom Bomb's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
207 views

Is a posteriori analytic philosophy just science?

Analytic philosophy primarily tries to solve problems a priori. Science can be considered to be synthetic a posteriori, based of some a priori theoretical framework. But would any conclusions that you ...
RECURSIVE FARTS's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
126 views

Kant's cleavage of knowledge

In the Critique of Pure Reason, Kant goes to great lengths to distinguish transcendental knowledge from other a priori knowledge. For Kant, is transcendental knowledge distinct from analytic or ...
Nate's user avatar
  • 267
1 vote
2 answers
542 views

What is the use of analytic propositions?

[Note: I'm using Kant's terms.] Analytic proposition, for example "all bodies are extended", or "a=a", seems like an unhelpful type of proposition (contra to the synthetic a priori and a postriori ...
Yechiam Weiss's user avatar
-2 votes
2 answers
388 views

"A priori" abused by mathematicians? [duplicate]

I often see mathematicians make statements like "A priori, it is not clear whether 231283179 is a prime number or not." This is supposed to mean something like "just by looking at it, without ...
mss's user avatar
  • 103