Analytical SolipsismPhilosophers usually have been anxious to avoid solipsism. A large number of good and great philosophers have tried to refute it. Of course, these philosophers have not always had the same target in mind and, like everything else, solipsism over the centuries has become increasingly elusive and subtle. In this book I undertake to state the position in its most modern and what I take to be its most plausible form. At some points in the history of philosophy the solipsist has been one who denied the existence of everything except himself or even the existence of everything except his own present sensations. At other times, the solipsist instead of doubting these things has merely insisted that there could be no good reason for believing in the existence of anything beyond one's own present sensations. Roughly, this doubt is aimed at reasons rather than at things. A solipsist of this sort appears in Santayana's Scepticism and Animal Faith. |
Contents
Sensations and Images | 3 |
Language and Sensation | 24 |
Imagining Instances | 46 |
Copyright | |
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A. J. Ayer actual analysis analytic statements antecedent argued asserting Austin axioms Ayer basic Battle of Hastings behavior causal laws complex comprehension concept connection conscious context counterfactual course definite description dependent sensation diarist distinction entities fact finite further Hence Humean hypothetical image theory image-thinking imagine instances imagining an instance inductive interpretation involved J. L. Austin Jones kinds of sensations latter logical look material object sentence material object statement ment mental events metalanguage object language occur one's ordinary language ostensive definition partial instance particular past perceive perception person phenomenalism phenomenalist philosophical physical objects possible predicate preliminary presupposes primitive terms private language proper names Psmith public language question Quine refer seems sense-data similar simply solipsism solipsist somatic sensations someone sort specious present suppose synonymous synonymy talk theorems theory of meaning things tion translation true truth functional trying understanding utterance verified word-thinking words