--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am certainly open to the idea that this…" description: "\"I am certainly open to the idea that this might be used to explain other philosophical categories besides knowledge. I have some real sympathy with the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/hilary-kornblith-11063_accounts_i-am-certainly-open-to-the-idea-that-thi_868817.jpg" --- # I am certainly open to the idea that this might be used to… ![“I am certainly open to the idea that this might be used to explain other philosophical categories besides knowledge. I have some real sympathy with the work of those moral realists who have tried to give naturalistic accounts of human flourishing, and who offer accounts of right action in such…” quote by Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/hilary-kornblith-11063_accounts_i-am-certainly-open-to-the-idea-that-thi_868817.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/hilary-kornblith-11063_accounts_i-am-certainly-open-to-the-idea-that-thi_868817.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/056/hilary-kornblith-11063_accounts_i-am-certainly-open-to-the-idea-that-thi_868817.jpg) > “I am certainly open to the idea that this might be used to explain other philosophical categories besides knowledge. I have some real sympathy with the work of those moral realists who have tried to give naturalistic accounts of human flourishing, and who offer accounts of right action in such terms. (I suppose this is more evidence that I really do have deep affinities with Aristotle!)” [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author suggests that naturalistic explanations can extend beyond knowledge to moral philosophy, aligning with Aristotle’s view of flourishing and right action. **In simple terms:** Naturalistic ideas can explain morality like they do knowledge. Key Takeaway Consider naturalistic frameworks for ethics. Themes philosophy ethics naturalism Aristotelian human flourishing Mood thoughtful analytical Type theoretical scholarly When to use this quote - academic debate - ethical theory development - policy analysis - education curricula Key Concepts moral realism naturalistic explanation human flourishing right action Questions to Reflect On - How can naturalism address cultural differences? - What limits does Aristotle impose on modern ethics? A Different Perspective Naturalistic accounts may overlook cultural relativism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accounts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accounts/) [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Affinities Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affinities-aristotle-929570/) [Affinity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affinity/) [Categories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/categories/) [Evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evidence/) [Explain Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explain-philosophical-929572/) [Flourishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flourishing/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral Realists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-realists-929569/) [Offers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offers/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Philosophical Categories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical-categories-929571/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Realist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realist/) [Right action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-action/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) ## Related quotes > [The blues records of each decade explain something about the philosophical basis of our lives as black people. ... Blues is a basis of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherley-anne-williams/the-blues-records-of-each-decade-explain-something-about-the/) [Sherley Anne Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherley-anne-williams/) > [If the ethical - that is, social morality- is the highest ... then no categories are needed other than the Greek philosophical categories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soren-kierkegaard/if-the-ethical-that-is-social-morality-is-the-highest-then-no/) [Soren Kierkegaard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soren-kierkegaard/) > [Persons are not known by intellect alone, not by principles alone, but only by love. It is when we love the other, the enemy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/persons-are-not-known-by-intellect-alone-not-by-principles-alone-but/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Never settle for that which is easy and comfortable or the necessity of seeking that which is difficult and uncomfortable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/never-settle-for-that-which-is-easy-and-comfortable-or-the-necessity/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Gaining energy is accomplished by meditating, by right actions, right thoughts, right deeds, by studying with a real teacher or by just studying the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/gaining-energy-is-accomplished-by-meditating-by-right-actions-right/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Peace of mind produces right values, right values produce right thoughts. Right thoughts produce right actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-richardson/peace-of-mind-produces-right-values-right-values-produce-right/) [Mark Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-richardson/) > [You can gain power by avoidance. You can gain power by doing certain things. You can gain much more power by meditating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/you-can-gain-power-by-avoidance-you-can-gain-power-by-doing-certain/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Where the head goes, the body follows. Perception precedes action. Right action follows the right perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/where-the-head-goes-the-body-follows-perception-precedes-action-right/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [You don't actually do a project; you can only do action steps related to it. When enough of the right action steps have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-allen/you-don-t-actually-do-a-project-you-can-only-do-action-steps-related/) [David Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-allen/) > [The problem is with any practice is that it is a practice. That is why people don't win. The reason why people don't win…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/the-problem-is-with-any-practice-is-that-it-is-a-practice-that-is-why/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [So too, monks, I saw the ancient path, the ancient road traveled by the Perfectly Enlightened Ones of the past. And what is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gautama-buddha/so-too-monks-i-saw-the-ancient-path-the-ancient-road-traveled-by-the/) [Gautama Buddha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gautama-buddha/) > [“The areas of great interest to the Stoics all make an appearance here: virtue, mortality, emotions, self-awareness, fortitude, right action, problem solving, acceptance, mental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-holiday/the-areas-of-great-interest-to-the-stoics-all-make-an-appearance-here/) [Ryan Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-holiday/) > [“I put no stock in religion. By the word religion I have seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-monahan/i-put-no-stock-in-religion-by-the-word-religion-i-have-seen-the/) [William Monahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-monahan/) > [Nature supports right action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/nature-supports-right-action/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) ## More by Hilary Kornblith > [I think that when I first suggested the idea that knowledge should be viewed as a natural kind, many people thought this was just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/i-think-that-when-i-first-suggested-the-idea-that-knowledge-should-be/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [The fact that these scientific theories have a fine track record of successful prediction and explanation speaks for itself. (Which is not to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/the-fact-that-these-scientific-theories-have-a-fine-track-record-of/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [I am quite wedded to the view that epistemologists should concern themselves with knowledge rather than our concept of knowledge. The analogy I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/i-am-quite-wedded-to-the-view-that-epistemologists-should-concern/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [The role of empirical work in informing our philosophical theories, as I see it, is not that it gives us a better view of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/the-role-of-empirical-work-in-informing-our-philosophical-theories-as/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [Here, as in so many other cases, however, it turns out that a very commonsensical idea looks far less attractive when one examines some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/here-as-in-so-many-other-cases-however-it-turns-out-that-a-very/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [The kind of approach I take is different from much of experimental philosophy. Although the experimental philosophers and I are certainly in agreement about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/the-kind-of-approach-i-take-is-different-from-much-of-experimental/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [The fact that we have been able to develop a successful science, which issues in ever more accurate predictions and broader explanations, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/the-fact-that-we-have-been-able-to-develop-a-successful-science-which/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [By putting the first-person point of view in a naturalistic perspective, I believe that we may genuinely come to understand it for the first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/by-putting-the-first-person-point-of-view-in-a-naturalistic/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [The worry that unreflective belief acquisition may be unreliable, after all, applies equally to reflective belief acquisition: it too may be unreliable. To my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/the-worry-that-unreflective-belief-acquisition-may-be-unreliable/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [When I got to college, I planned to be a math major, and, in addition to signing up for some math courses, I decided…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/when-i-got-to-college-i-planned-to-be-a-math-major-and-in-addition-to/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [When reflection is thereby demystified, I believe that the temptation to view human knowledge as different in kind from animal knowledge is undermined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/when-reflection-is-thereby-demystified-i-believe-that-the-temptation/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [Internalist approaches to epistemology, I believe, have a great deal of intuitive appeal. Internalists believe that the features in virtue of which a belief…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/internalist-approaches-to-epistemology-i-believe-have-a-great-deal-of/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [What we need to do, however, is figure out what our best available theories of the mind suggest about epistemological issues, while we recognise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/what-we-need-to-do-however-is-figure-out-what-our-best-available/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [I largely defer to the cognitive ethologists. I believe that the arguments that they make on this score are extremely persuasive. More than this,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/i-largely-defer-to-the-cognitive-ethologists-i-believe-that-the/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) > [Rather, although belief may be adequate for explaining the behavior of individual animals - an animal which believes that p will behave no differently…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-kornblith/rather-although-belief-may-be-adequate-for-explaining-the-behavior-of/) [Hilary Kornblith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) [Explore all 62 Hilary Kornblith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-kornblith/) ## More Accounts quotes > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [Think of these things, whence you came, where you are going, and to whom you must account.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/think-of-these-things-whence-you-came-where-you-are-going-and-to-whom/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [The Hindus have a peculiar slovenliness in business matters, not being sufficiently methodical and strict in keeping accounts etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-hindus-have-a-peculiar-slovenliness-in-business-matters-not-being/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [With the Truman book, I wrote the entire account of his experiences in World War I before going over to Europe to follow his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/with-the-truman-book-i-wrote-the-entire-account-of-his-experiences-in/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [A great read; an exciting, frightening account of organized crime today. 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The more you put in, the more you can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-lalanne/you-ve-got-to-exercise-your-health-account-your-bank-account-they-re/) [Jack LaLanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-lalanne/) > [No physiologist who calmly considers the question in connection with the general truths of his science, can long resist the conviction that different parts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/no-physiologist-who-calmly-considers-the-question-in-connection-with/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [God puts you where God needs you. You are where you are supposed to be. The job you are doing may not be any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-kushner/god-puts-you-where-god-needs-you-you-are-where-you-are-supposed-to-be/) [Lawrence Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-kushner/) > [Stop trying to treat music like it's a tennis shoe, something to be branded. 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