Donald Davidson Quotes About Relativism

• The dominant metaphor of conceptual relativism, that of differing points of view, seems to betray an underlying paradox. Differentpoints of view make sense, but only if there is a common co-ordinate system on which to plot them; yet the existence of a common system belies the claim of dramatic incomparability.

  Donald Davidson

  Views, Plot, Common

  Donald Davidson (2001). “Inquiries Into Truth and Interpretation: Philosophical Essays”, p.184, Oxford University Press

• There is no such thing as a language, not if a language is anything like what many philosophers and linguists have supposed. Thereis therefore no such thing to be learned, mastered, or born with. We must give up the idea of a clearly defined shared structure which language-users acquire and then apply to cases.

  Donald Davidson

  Giving Up, Ideas, Philosopher

• Conceptual relativism is a heady and exotic doctrine, or would be if we could make good sense of it. The trouble is, as so often in philosophy, it is hard to improve intelligibility while retaining the excitement.

  Donald Davidson

  Philosophy, Doctrine, Would Be

  Donald Davidson (2001). “Inquiries Into Truth and Interpretation: Philosophical Essays”, p.183, Oxford University Press

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