Philosophy Quotes

"Proper names do not have senses; their contribution to meaning is exhausted by what they denote."

"The unity of a complex thought depends on the relations among its component thoughts."

"The principle of excluded middle assumes a metaphysical realism that is not always warranted."

"Platonism in mathematics leads to epistemological problems that are best avoided."

"Context determines not only what is said but also what is literally meant."

"The distinction between sense and force applies to all kinds of linguistic expression."

"The aim of philosophical analysis is to clarify our concepts, not to legislate reality."

"The law of contradiction expresses a fundamental requirement of rational thought."

"Modality is not a feature of reality itself but of how we conceptualize possibility."

"The interpretation of an utterance depends on knowledge of both language and context."

"Abstract objects do not exist apart from the conceptual schemes we use to individuate them."

"Meaning is public, but understanding is an individual achievement grounded in public practice."

"Logic is not psychology, nor is it purely formal; it is normative and tied to rational practice."

"The identity conditions for sortal concepts must be grounded in criteria we can apply."

"Metaphysical disputes often turn on disagreements about what constitutes a genuine difference."

"The force of an assertion commits the speaker to the truth of what is asserted."

"The principle of bivalence presupposes a determinate reality, but some domains may be indeterminate."

"Wittgenstein recognized that meaning cannot be captured in definition alone but emerges in use."

"The objectivity of logical law rests on its universal applicability to rational agents."

"The interpretation of utterances requires attributing rational purposes to the speaker."

"Nominalism is not forced to deny the utility of mathematical language and reasoning."

"The relation between language and world is mediated by our practices and interests."

"To know oneself is the beginning of all philosophy worth pursuing"

"Philosophy asks not what we should think but why we think what we do"

"Philosophy is thinking as if it matters, because fundamentally, it does"

"Intentionality is the mark of the mental."

"The mind is not the brain, but the brain is necessary for the mind."

"I caused the window to be open by opening it."

"Society is not just a collection of individuals; it is constitutive of those individuals."

"Language is a rule-governed activity."