Empirismo e Naturalismo em Quine e as críticas de Donald Davidson

Abstract

Willard Van Orman Quine's empiricist philosophy and Donald Davidson's criticisms are essential to understanding the nuances and challenges of contemporary epistemology. Quine developed an empiricist approach that questions the distinction between analytical knowledge and synthetic knowledge, arguing that all beliefs are reviewable in light of sensory experience. Furthermore, his theory of underdetermination of translation implies the adherence to conceptual relativism, which defends the possibility of different conceptual schemes that relate to reality. Donald Davidson, in turn, criticized several aspects of Quinean philosophy, especially his conception of conceptual relativism. His emphasis on the radical interpretation and utilization of Tarski's theory of truth shed light on the understanding of language and interpersonal communication, challenging the traditional assumptions of empiricism. In this dissertation I explored the main concepts pertinent to Quine's philosophy and I seek to corroborate Davidson's criticisms regarding the idea of a conceptual scheme.