Ontological Relativity and Other Essays

Ontological Relativity and Other Essays. This 1969 collection by the influential American philosopher W. V. Quine consolidates and advances key themes from his later work. Published by Columbia University Press, the volume centers on the indeterminacy of translation and the inscrutability of reference, challenging foundational assumptions in analytic philosophy. The essays further develop Quine's naturalized epistemology and his critique of traditional modal logic and mentalism.

Overview and Publication History

The volume was published in 1969 as part of the John Dewey Essays in Philosophy series. It collects lectures and papers Quine delivered in the mid-to-late 1960s, including his influential John Locke Lectures at the University of Oxford. The titular essay, "Ontological Relativity," originated as a lecture at Columbia University, reflecting Quine's ongoing engagement with the philosophical community. The publication followed his major works Word and Object and The Ways of Paradox, cementing his status as a leading figure in twentieth-century philosophy.

Core Arguments in "Ontological Relativity"

The central essay argues that reference is inherently relative and indeterminate, extending the thesis from Word and Object. Quine uses thought experiments like the gavagai scenario and the argument from the indeterminacy of translation to demonstrate that questions about what objects a theory discusses are meaningless without a background language. This leads to the doctrine of the inscrutability of reference, famously illustrated by the proxy function argument, which shows that one can systematically reinterpret the ontology of any theory while preserving all empirical evidence. These arguments directly challenge the ideas of Gottlob Frege and Bertrand Russell on direct reference.

Related Essays and Key Themes

Other essays in the collection expand on Quine's systematic philosophy. "Epistemology Naturalized" argues for reconceiving epistemology as a chapter of empirical psychology, rejecting the foundationalism of René Descartes. "Existence and Quantification" examines the link between ontological commitment and the existential quantifier in first-order logic. "Natural Kinds" explores the psychological and pragmatic basis of our inductive practices, critiquing essentialism. "Propositional Objects" extends his critique of intensional entities, while "Linguistics and Philosophy" assesses the relevance of Noam Chomsky's work to philosophical questions.

Philosophical Context and Influences

The essays are situated within Quine's broader revolt against the logical positivism of the Vienna Circle, particularly targeting the analytic-synthetic distinction associated with Rudolf Carnap. His naturalism draws from the pragmatism of John Dewey and the holistic confirmation theory of Pierre Duhem. The arguments on reference engage with the work of Alfred Tarski on truth and P. F. Strawson on referring. Quine's physicalism and behaviorism place him in opposition to the modal realism of Saul Kripke and the mentalism prevalent in the philosophy of mind.

Reception and Critical Response

The collection provoked extensive debate and criticism across analytic philosophy. Supporters like Donald Davidson developed the ideas into his theory of radical interpretation. Critics, including Hilary Putnam in his "model-theoretic argument," and Michael Dummett, attacked the coherence of radical translation and the rejection of intensional contexts. Philosophers of science like Thomas Kuhn engaged with its implications for conceptual schemes, while the essay "Epistemology Naturalized" was famously criticized by Jaegwon Kim for eliminating the normative dimension of epistemology.

Legacy and Impact

*Ontological Relativity and Other Essays* solidified Quine's profound influence on late-20th century thought. Its arguments became central to debates in the philosophy of language, metaphysics, and philosophy of science. The naturalized epistemology program inspired research in cognitive science and evolutionary psychology. The challenges to modal logic influenced the development of formal semantics and shaped the work of later philosophers like David Lewis. The collection remains a pivotal text, continuously engaged with in contemporary discussions about realism, conceptual relativity, and the foundations of knowledge. Category:1969 non-fiction books Category:Philosophy books Category:Works by W. V. Quine