Theory, observation, and empiricism

pp. 62-87

in: Paolo Parrini, Knowledge and reality, Berlin, Springer, 1998

Abstract

In the previous chapter, I said that in present day philosophy the thrust towards relativism has acquired such momentum as to seriously threaten the empirical and objective character of knowledge. The problem for empiricism is that epistemic relativity endangers the possibility of a genuine, non-circular empirical test of our cognitive claims. If linguistic apparatuses are not simple instruments to report "what there is out there in the world", and if observation sentences are "permeated", or "laden", with theory, we run the risk of not having at our disposal an independent, impartial and neutral empirical touchstone for evaluating our statements.