more from Donald Davidson

Single Idea 23294

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / A. Justification Problems / 1. Justification / a. Justification issues]

Full Idea

You are following Plato's lead if you worry about the concept of truth when it is the focus of your attention, but you pretend you understand it when trying to cope with knowledge (or belief, memory, perception etc.).

Gist of Idea

It is common to doubt truth when discussing it, but totally accept it when discussing knowledge

Source

Donald Davidson (The Folly of Trying to Define Truth [1999], p.20)

Book Reference

Davidson,Donald: 'Truth, Language and History' [OUP 2005], p.20


A Reaction

Nice to find someone pointing out this absurdity. He says Hume does the same with doubts about the external world, which he ignores when discussing other minds. Belief is holding true; only truths are actually remembered….