The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast Episode 154: Wilfrid Sellars on the Myth of the Given
Dec 19, 2016
Lawrence Dallman, a PhD student specializing in Wilfrid Sellars' philosophy, joins to discuss profound ideas surrounding knowledge and perception. They unpack Sellars' critique of the 'myth of the given,' arguing that immediate experiences can't serve as a foundation for knowledge. The conversation explores the necessity of language and conceptual frameworks in understanding sensory experiences. Dallman emphasizes the role of social context in shaping perception, challenging traditional empiricist views, and revealing how thought and language interplay in our understanding of reality.
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Episode notes
Myth of the Given
- Sellars critiques the "myth of the given," the idea that knowledge has indubitable foundations.
- He targets empiricists like Locke who believe in foundational perceptions.
Ambiguity of Sense Data
- Sellars argues that foundational perceptions are either non-propositional or propositional.
- If non-propositional, they cannot justify knowledge claims; if propositional, they presuppose too much prior knowledge.
Givenness of Language
- Language has a kind of givenness that replaces the givenness of sensations.
- Analytic and logical relations stem from language semantics.
