Knowledge Quote by F.H. Bradley
““The man who is ready to prove that metaphysical knowledge is wholly impossible has no right here to any answer. He must be referred for conviction to the body of this treatise. And he can hardly refuse to go there, since he himself has, perhaps unknowingly, entered the arena. He is a brother metaphysician with a rival theory of first principles.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Essays on Metaphysics, 1884
A philosopher who claims metaphysics is impossible cannot legitimately demand answers, yet he inadvertently participates in the very discourse he denies.
In simple terms: Denying metaphysics while engaging in it is contradictory.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the limits of your stance.
Themes
philosophy
logic
epistemology
Mood
critical
thoughtful
Type
theoretical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- academic debates
- philosophical writing
- teaching
- personal belief systems
Key Concepts
metaphysics
contradiction
argumentation
first principles
intellectual humility
Questions to Reflect On
- Is it possible to discuss a topic you deem unknowable?
- What responsibilities do we have when we reject a field?
A Different Perspective
The claim may overlook the value of questioning even if answers seem unattainable.
![“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions of phantasmatical seeming philosophy." [William Petty]” quote by Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5a/carl-zimmer-16331_knowledge_i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted_1770.jpg)
