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General Ontology and the Principle of Acquaintance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2022

Kenneth C. Clatterbaugh*
Affiliation:
Indiana University

Abstract

What one is acquainted with has always been important for the rejection or acceptance of any ontological description. Yet the relevance of acquaintance to ontology has not always been clearly stated. Some philosophers have held that they were acquainted with the simple entities of ontological analysis. They also held that if they were not acquainted with such entities, their analysis would be inadequately supported. In this paper I argue that acquaintance with ontological simples cannot be a reason for accepting or rejecting any ontological analysis. At the same time, I examine what I believe to be the relevance of acquaintance to ontological description.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Philosophy of Science Association 1965

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References

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