CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020
| Author | Frisby, Gregory Joseph |
|---|---|
| Title | There Are No Unanalyzable Concepts: A Critique of Primitivism |
| Summary | Some philosophers assume that our fundamental concepts are unanalyzable, or ‘primitive’. In this thesis, I’ll join P.F. Strawson in questioning this assumption. I’ll critique the most plausible arguments for primitivism, specifically those made from conceptual regresses, sensory qualities, and the past failures of conceptual analysis. I’ll then provide a case against primitivism, my arguments being that (1) primitivists haven’t provided plausible examples of primitives, (2) primitivism doesn’t have an adequate explanation of contradictory terms, and (3) primitivism seemingly can’t account for how primitives could relate to other concepts in propositions. |
| Supervisor | Griffin, Mike |
| Department | Philosophy MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2020/frisby_gregory.pdf |
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