Do We Really Need an Opposition between A Priori and A Posteriori?

Authors

  • Barbara Tuchańska Institute of Philosophy, University of Lodz

Keywords:

a priori knowledge, a priori justification, a priori insights, naturalism, rationalism, socio-historical conception of knowledge, the ideal of episteme

Abstract

I present modifications of the notion of the a priori knowledge (beliefs) or justification executed in the recent epistemological conceptions, and discuss difficulties raised in their empiricist criticisms. Next, I discuss a naturalist and a metaphysical extreme approaches to the a priori, and give arguments against the need for the acceptance of the a priori versus a posteriori opposition. My arguments refer to contemporary philosophical processes: the abandonment of the abstract concept of the cognizing subject, the rejection of the concept of language as a logical representational structure, and the demise of the ideal of episteme.

Published

2011-12-01

How to Cite

Tuchańska, B. (2011). Do We Really Need an Opposition between A Priori and A Posteriori?. The Philosophy of Science, 19(4), 119–138. Retrieved from https://fn.uw.edu.pl/index.php/fn/article/view/663