David Detmer quotes

There is an obscurum per obscurius problem as well. In order to know whether or not giraffes are taller than ants we must first know (a) whether or not there is a consensus that giraffes are taller than ants, and (b) if there is, whether or not the communication that produces that consensus was free, open, and undistorted. But isn't it obvious that it is easier to determine whether or not giraffes are taller than ants than it is to determine either (a) or (b)? Or, to put it another way, wouldn't any skeptical doubts about our ability to determine even something so obvious as that giraffes are taller than ants also be more than sufficient to wipe out any hope of being able to know about the outcome, and degree of openness, of any process of public communication? (David Detmer)
In order to judge that something is not working, wouldn't we have to know what it's effects really are? ... And surely some of our social practices cannot be judged to be "working” except by invoking the goal of objective truth. For example, to know whether or not the criminal justice system is working well, wouldn't we have to know something about the accuracy of its results? View quote
David Detmer

David Detmer

Born: 1958
Quotes count: 2
Wikipedia: David Detmer