We are acquainted with ordinary things
Abstract
To be ‘acquainted’ with a thing is to be in a position to think about it in virtue of a perceptual link, and without the use of any conceptual or descriptive way of identifying it. There are old arguments for the claim that we cannot be acquainted with ordinary material things. This chapter uses recent empirical results about perception to show how these arguments can be overturned. The chapter has three parts. The first summarizes the relevant results, the second uses these results to construct an account of acquaintance with ordinary things, and the third turns this account against objections to such proposals from claims about the possibility of perception‐based error.
Citation
Dickie , I 2010 , We are acquainted with ordinary things . in R Jeshion (ed.) , New Essays on Singular Thought . Oxford University Press . https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199567881.003.0008
Publication
New Essays on Singular Thought
Status
Peer reviewed
Type
Book item
Rights
Copyright © 2010 the Author. This work has been made available online in accordance with publisher policies or with permission. Permission for further reuse of this content should be sought from the publisher or the rights holder. This is the author created accepted manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199567881.003.0008
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