Realism and underdetermination

Charles Parsons

pp. 235-242

in: Peter Bieri, Rolf-Peter Horstmann, Lorenz Krüger (eds), Transcendental arguments and science, Berlin, Springer, 1979

Abstract

Professor Burian's strategy is roughly to assume the indeterminacy of translation and argue that it is incompatible with what he calls "Peircean realism" as represented particularly in the philosophy of Wilfrid Sellars. In considering whether he is right in thinking the two theses incompatible, one has to place the indeterminacy thesis in a larger setting. I shall begin by presenting an argument that would suggest that Burian's main thesis may not be very interesting.

Cited authors

Sellars Wilfrid

Peirce Charles Sanders