Wilfrid Sellars

Wilfrid Sellars (1912-1989) was an American philosopher who made significant contributions to epistemology, philosophy of mind, and the foundations of science. His work challenged both traditional empiricism and logical positivism while developing a sophisticated form of philosophical realism. Sellars is best known for his critique of what he called the "Myth of the Given" - the idea that knowledge must be built on a foundation of non-inferential awareness. His influential essay "Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind" (1956) demonstrated how this assumption had shaped much of modern philosophy and offered an alternative account of knowledge acquisition. His concept of the "scientific image" versus the "manifest image" of humanity helped explain how scientific and everyday understanding relate to each other. This framework influenced debates about scientific realism and the relationship between common sense and scientific knowledge. Sellars developed a unique form of nominalism and made important contributions to understanding the nature of meaning, thought, and consciousness. His work continues to influence contemporary philosophy, particularly in debates about mind, knowledge, and scientific understanding.

Readers describe Sellars' works as dense and challenging philosophical texts that require multiple readings to grasp. His complex writing style and technical terminology create barriers for many readers. Readers value: - Deep analysis of how scientific and everyday understanding connect - Original perspectives on knowledge and perception - Rigorous arguments against foundationalist epistemology - Influence on later philosophers like Richard Rorty and Robert Brandom Common criticisms: - Unnecessarily complicated prose - Lack of clear examples or applications - Assumes extensive philosophical background - Dense academic style limits accessibility On Goodreads, "Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind" averages 4.1/5 stars from 158 ratings. Reviewers note it's "rewarding but difficult." Amazon reviews average 3.8/5 stars, with readers calling it "impenetrable at first" but "worth the effort." One reader summarized: "Sellars makes crucial points about human knowledge and perception, but you have to work extremely hard to extract them from his writing."

Science, Perception and Reality (1963) A collection of essays examining the relationship between scientific and manifest images of the world, introducing Sellars' concept of the "myth of the given."

Science and Metaphysics: Variations on Kantian Themes (1968) An analysis of Kantian philosophy in relation to modern scientific understanding, exploring the nature of knowledge and perception.

Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind (1956) A critique of foundationalist epistemology and sense-data theories, presenting Sellars' famous attack on the "myth of the given."

Pure Pragmatics and Possible Worlds (1980) A detailed examination of linguistic meaning and modal logic, developing Sellars' views on intentionality and possible worlds semantics.

Philosophical Perspectives (1967) Essays covering topics in epistemology, philosophy of mind, and ethics, including Sellars' views on practical reasoning and moral judgment.

Essays in Philosophy and Its History (1974) A collection addressing historical philosophical problems from ancient Greece through modern times, with focus on epistemology and metaphysics.

Naturalism and Ontology (1979) An exploration of scientific naturalism and its implications for understanding reality, consciousness, and knowledge.

The Metaphysics of Epistemology (1989) Lectures examining the relationship between knowledge, truth, and reality, incorporating Sellars' later views on these subjects.

John McDowell approaches philosophy through a synthesis of mind, language, and experience in ways that parallel Sellars' critiques of the "myth of the given." His work "Mind and World" builds on Sellarsian themes while engaging with Kant and contemporary epistemology.

Robert Brandom develops Sellars' inferentialist approach to meaning and knowledge in systematic detail. His work expands Sellars' ideas about the social nature of rationality and the relationship between meaning and use.

Ruth Millikan examines the naturalistic foundations of mind, meaning, and representation that complement Sellars' scientific realism. Her theories about biological functions and teleosemantics provide an empirical grounding for understanding intentionality and mental content.

Donald Davidson shares Sellars' focus on the interconnections between language, thought, and reality while rejecting foundationalist epistemology. His theories of radical interpretation and triangulation address similar concerns about how meaning and mind relate to the physical world.

Daniel Dennett builds on Sellars' critique of philosophical psychology and the relationship between folk psychology and scientific explanation. His stance on consciousness and intentionality extends Sellars' naturalistic approach to mind while maintaining a pragmatic view of intentional explanation.