Wilfrid Sellars facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilfrid Sellars
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Wilfrid Stalker Sellars
May 20, 1912 Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.
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| Died | July 2, 1989 (aged 77) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Education | University of Michigan (B.A., 1933) University at Buffalo (M.A., 1934) Oriel College, Oxford (B.A., 1936; MA, 1940) |
| Era | 20th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Analytic Pittsburgh School Process philosophy Critical realism (philosophy of perception) Anti-foundationalism |
| Institutions | University of Pittsburgh |
| Academic advisors | Marvin Farber Thomas Dewar Weldon |
| Doctoral students | Jay Rosenberg György Márkus Paul Churchland Robert Kane Christopher Gauker Héctor-Neri Castañeda Richard Creath |
| Other notable students | Fred Dretske |
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Main interests
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Philosophy of mind Philosophy of perception Epistemology Meaning Pragmatism Behaviorism History of philosophy |
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Notable ideas
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Critical realism (philosophy of perception) Criticism of foundationalist epistemology (the "Myth of the Given") Psychological nominalism Kantian empiricism The distinction between the 'manifest' and the 'scientific' image Logical space of reasons (the realm of the semantic) Sellarsian dilemma for foundationalism Synoptic vision Rylean myth |
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Influences
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Influenced
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Wilfrid Stalker Sellars (May 20, 1912 – July 2, 1989) was an important American philosopher. He helped develop a way of thinking called critical realism. Many people say he changed how philosophy was done in the United States.
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Life and Education
Wilfrid Sellars was born on May 20, 1912. His father, Roy Wood Sellars, was also a famous philosopher. Wilfrid studied at the University of Michigan and the University at Buffalo. He also went to Oriel College, Oxford in England as a Rhodes Scholar. He earned his highest degree there in 1940.
During World War II, Sellars worked in military intelligence. After the war, he taught at several universities. These included the University of Iowa, the University of Minnesota, and Yale University. From 1963 until he passed away, he taught at the University of Pittsburgh. He also helped start a journal called Philosophical Studies.
What Did Wilfrid Sellars Study?
Sellars was known for questioning a philosophical idea called foundationalism. This idea suggests that some beliefs are basic and don't need proof. He called this the "Myth of the Given".
His main goal was to connect our everyday understanding of the world with what science tells us. He wanted to create a "synoptic vision" that brought these ideas together. Sellars was one of the first to combine ideas from American pragmatism with analytic philosophy from Britain and America. He also used ideas from German philosophy, especially from Immanuel Kant.
The "Space of Reasons"
Sellars came up with the phrase "space of reasons." This idea helps us understand how humans use language and thinking to make sense of the world. It means that talking about reasons, justifications, and intentions is different from talking about causes and effects in science. Our reasons for doing things are not just like physical forces.
This idea also connects to Sellars's distinction between the "manifest image" and the "scientific image" of the world.
Key Ideas in His Work
The "Myth of the Given"
One of Sellars's most famous works is "Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind" (1956). In this paper, he argued against the idea that we can know things from our senses without using our minds to understand them. He called this the "Myth of the Given." He believed that our perceptions are always shaped by our concepts and ideas.
To explain his point, Sellars used a story called "The Myth of Jones." This story shows how thoughts and inner experiences can be understood in a scientific way. He used a fictional group called the "Ryleans" to discuss ideas from another philosopher, Gilbert Ryle. Sellars thought that "myths" are not necessarily false. They can be useful ways to understand complex ideas.
Kantian Empiricism
In his paper "The Language of Theories" (1961), Sellars introduced the idea of Kantian empiricism. This concept explains that some ideas are so basic to our way of thinking that changing them would mean changing our whole system of understanding. Other ideas can be changed based on new observations, while our basic system of concepts stays the same.
Manifest and Scientific Images
In "Philosophy and the Scientific Image of Man" (1962), Sellars talked about two ways we see the world: the "manifest image" and the "scientific image."
- The manifest image is how we experience the world every day. It includes our thoughts, feelings, and how things appear to us. We can improve this image by observing things and finding patterns.
- The scientific image describes the world using scientific theories. It talks about tiny particles, forces, and causes.
Sometimes these two images work together, and sometimes they seem to disagree. For example, the manifest image includes our moral ideas, but the scientific image does not. Also, science tells us that solid objects are mostly empty space, which is different from how they appear to us. Sellars believed that the scientific image should be given more importance when there's a conflict, especially for describing and explaining the world.
Political Views
Wilfrid Sellars's father was a socialist, and Wilfrid also had an interest in left-wing politics. When he was a student at the University of Michigan, he helped start the first student housing cooperative in North America. It was first called "Michigan Socialist House." He also supported the socialist politician Norman Thomas.
His Impact on Philosophy
Wilfrid Sellars had a big impact on many philosophers. Robert Brandom, who worked with Sellars, said that Sellars was one of the most important philosophers of his time. Sellars's goal of bringing together everyday and scientific views of reality became the basis for a group of philosophers known as the Pittsburgh School.
Many other philosophers were also influenced by Sellars. These include Richard Rorty, Paul Churchland, and Ruth Millikan. His work has also been used in areas like standpoint theory, which looks at how our social position affects our knowledge.
See also
In Spanish: Wilfrid Sellars para niños
- American philosophy
- Definitions of philosophy
- List of American philosophers
- The Myth of the Framework
- Transcendental empiricism
