Open AccessIs Quinean naturalism dependent on the metametalanguage of metaphysics?
Author(s) -
Pamela Ann J. Boongaling
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
discusiones filosóficas/discusiones filosoficas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.1
H-Index - 3
eISSN - 2462-9596
pISSN - 0124-6127
DOI - 10.17151/difil.2020.21.36.4
Subject(s) - metaphysics , naturalism , philosophy , epistemology , order (exchange) , a priori and a posteriori , economics , finance
I will demonstrate that Quinean naturalism must accommodate a priori truths in its epistemology if it aims to retain its naturalist stance. This happens becausethe laws of first-order logic which it uses in the regimentation of scientific theories are best perceived as metaphysical principles rather than logical laws. To support this position, I will demonstrate that since our best scientific theories are dependent on the meta-language of first-order logic and since the meta-language of first-order logic is included in the metametalanguage of metaphysics, science is also dependent on the metametalanguage of metaphysics.Hence, the cogency of Quinean naturalism’s account of our best scientific theories must explain how science is dependent on the metametalanguage of metaphysics.