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Willard Van Orman Quine Quotes

Philosopher

Willard Van Orman Quine was an American philosopher known for his work in logic, philosophy of science, and philosophy of language. He is considered one of the leading analytic philosophers of the 20th century.

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Famous Willard Van Orman Quine Quotes

“Set theory in sheep's clothing.”

Theory Clothings Sheep

Book:Philosophy of Logic

Source: Philosophy of Logic

“Implication is thus the very texture of our web of belief, and logic is the theory that traces it.”

Belief Theory Logic Implications Texture

Author:Willard Van Orman Quine

“If there is a case for mental events and mental states, it must be that the positing of them, like the positing of molecules, hassome indirect systematic efficacy in the development of theory.”

Ifs States Cases Events Theory Development Systematic Molecules Efficacy Indirect

Book:Word and Object

Source: Word and Object

“Our acceptance of an ontology is, I think, similar in principle to our acceptance of a scientific theory, say a system of physics;we adopt, at least insofar as we are reasonable, the simplest conceptual scheme into which the disordered fragments of raw experience can be fitted and arranged.”

Thinking Principles Acceptance Theory Physics Reasonable Schemes Simplest Fragments Ontology Scientific Theory

Book:Quintessence: Basic Readings from the Philosophy of W.V. Quine

Source: Quintessence: Basic Readings from the Philosophy of W.V. Quine

“To call a posit a posit is not to patronize it. A posit can be unavoidable except at the cost of other no less artificial expedients. Everything to which we concede existence is a posit from the standpoint of a description of the theory-building process, and simultaneously real from the standpoint of the theory that is being built.”

Real Process Existence Building Theory Cost Built Description Artificial Standpoint

Book:Word and Object

Source: Word and Object

“Theory may be deliberate, as in a chapter on chemistry, or it may be second nature, as in the immemorial doctrine of ordinary enduring middle-sized physical objects.”

May Middle Objects Theory Ordinary Endure Doctrine Chemistry Chapters Deliberate

Author:Willard Van Orman Quine

About the Author

Born: June 25, 1908
Died: December 25, 2000
Known for: Philosopher
Quotes: 69

Books & Sources

Word and ObjectRelated source material

Quintessence: Basic Readings from the Philosophy of W.V. QuineRelated source material

The Ways of Paradox, and Other EssaysRelated source material

Confessions of a Confirmed Extensionalist: And Other EssaysRelated source material

Philosophy of LogicRelated source material

QuidditiesRelated source material

Quine in DialogueRelated source material

Theories and ThingsRelated source material

From a Logical Point of View: 9 Logico-philosophical EssaysRelated source material

From a Logical Point of View: Nine Logico-Philosophical EssaysRelated source material

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