Encyclopedia > Self-evidence

  Article Content

Self-evidence

In epistemology, a proposition that cannot be understood without knowing that it is true, is called a self-evident proposition. A self-evident proposition is one that can be known to be true without proof (but only by understanding what it says). Some epistemologists deny that any proposition can be self-evident.

My belief that I am conscious is considered by many to be self-evident; your belief that I am conscious is not.

In informal or colloquial speech, "self-evident" often merely means "obvious."

Certain forms of argument from self-evidence are considered fallacious or abusive in debate. An example is the assertion that since an opponent disagrees with a (claimed self-evident) proposition, that he must have misunderstood it.

Compare with: the concepts of primitive notion and axiom in mathematics.



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
Dana International

...     Contents Dana International Dana International (born Yaron Cohen February 2, 1972) is an Israeli transsexual pop singer, who won ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 34.6 ms