Transition from Epistemology (First Philosophy) to Naturalized Epistemology

TRANSITION FROM EPISTEMOLOGY (FIRST PHILOSOPHY) TO NATURALIZED EPISTEMOLOGY Abstract- The main contention of this paper is to explicate and examine the philosophical implication of Quine’s Naturalized Epistemology. Quine’s naturalized epistemology appears as a revolt against the so-called First Philosophy or Traditional Epistemology. By way of criticizing First Philosophy, Quine thus offers us a radical interpretation of philosophy in the name of Naturalized Epistemology. According to Quine, epistemology must be naturalized. Naturalized epistemology is the offshoot of both natural sciences, such as, sociology, economics, psychology, history etc. and common sense. He holds that science is continuous with common sense, with everyday knowledge. He explains the doctrine as the recognition that it is within science itself and not in some prior philosophy, which reality is to be identified and described. His main contention was to develop philosophical theory without presupposing any philosophical dogmas. For Quine, while considering human knowledge, philosophers have no vantage point, no method, no stance, which is different in kind from that of the knowledge which is their subject. He conceives that philosophers are just like sailors who engage to rebuild their boat on the open sea. Thus, for Quine, philosophers do not require any vantage point outside the open sea, i.e., outside naturalized epistemology. There is no such cosmic exile. In this Doctoral research work an attempt has been made to show the far reaching philosophical implications of Quine’s naturalized epistemology.