John Lange

The Cognitivity Paradox

An Inquiry Concerning the Claims of Philosophy

Princeton University 1970

Foreword

As Russell might have said, this little book is not more original than it is. Beyond this I would say that many things in it have been suggested by or have an affinity with things said, or partly said, by a number of recent and contemporary philosophers. It has been bumped by Peirce's discussion of truth; and C. I. Lewis' Conceptualistic Pragmatism; and certain remarks by Carnap and Hempel, and Quine; and Roderick Chisholm's analysis of certain epistemic statements. I do not believe that any of these men would accept all of what is said here, and I am sure that all of them would deplore that it is not said better. In the latter lamentation I concur.