[lit-ideas] Re: Causal Theories alla Grice
- From: "" <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> (Redacted sender "Jlsperanza@xxxxxxx" for DMARC)
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2015 09:12:36 -0400
My last post today!
In a message dated 3/11/2015 5:13:03 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
omarkusto@xxxxxxxxx writes:
Coming to examples such as: "The student knew [that] the date of the
battle of Waterloo [was June 18, 1815]," this is really a very loose use of
'knew'
Well, but I'm not surprised Grice chose an example from history, for he was
interested in a "p" (in "A knows that p") which is contingent, synthetic,
a posteriori -- unless it ain't. A philosopher of history was involved with
the shape of the nose of Cleopatra. He knew that Cleopatra's nose was
beautiful.
He also knew that, had Cleopatra's nose not been so beautiful, the Roman
Empire would have never taken place (because Mark Antony would never have
betrayed Octavian nor be defeated at Actium).
So, I recommend we replace 'student' by 'historian'. Recall, those who
know, DO; those who don't, TEACH (or so the ironic adage goes).
When Grice speaks of a 'restriction', he has in mind the idea that the
student (or historian) couldn't have just DREAMED (that the date of the Battle
of Waterloo was June 18, 1805). (Cfr. literature on the cognitive side of
dreams and premonitory dreams -- but a premonitory dream would apply here if
the student or historian dreamed about the Battle of Waterloo BEFORE it
occurred? Geary disagrees and speaks of postmonitory dreams, which are pieces
of 'defeasible knowledge',, in his words). The student or historian must
have consulted the right books, which are based on adequate evidence that
corroborate that the date of the Battle of Waterloo was June 18, 1805. And it
is this fact that is linked to the historian's belief, which, the
proposition stating the fact being true, turns the historian's mere belief
into
proper knowledge.
Cheers,
Speranza
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