Should Epistemology Drive Metaphysics?

[Dave1]

The great philosopher Mortimer J. Adler claims that “the greatest of all modern philosophical mistakes is the error of idealism” [Adler’s Philosophical Dictionary, S.V. Idea]. That is a big claim considering other philosophical mistakes should as materialism and other errors. Nonetheless, I believe he is correct because modern philosophy since the time of Descartes, Kant, German and British idealism, and French psychological and postmodern schools, clearly make epistemology the driver of metaphysics. The correct approach is to see being or reality as the determinant of order. Thoughts?

 

[IWantGod]

The issues explored in idealism is definitely one of the main problems that caused metaphysics of Aquinas and Aristotle to lose popularity i think. But don’t quote me on that.

What can we know, and can we have true metaphysical knowledge of God with what we know is a reasonable question.

 

[Dave1]

What can we know, and can we have true metaphysical knowledge of God with what we know is a reasonable question.

Well put! I do believe many errors in philosophy, science, and culture today come from not understanding that reality is the determinate of order. When epistemology becomes the driver, it gets to determine what is real. Metaphysics is about knowing reality as it is (“being as being” as Aristotle puts it). The classical philosophers would have thought it strange that the mind determines reality.

 

[Wesrock]

I don’t know if you can divorce one from the other. Do we have epistemological standards in approaching metaphysics? Yes. But those epistemological standards are themselves reliant on some metaphysical axioms on the nature of being.

It seems they are both necessary co-principles. I lean towards the metaphysics being more fundamental, though, and I can’t help but see epistemology-onlyism as taking certain metaphysical assumptions for granted without acknowledging it’s doing so.

 

[Dave1]

I actually agree. I think they are related. There is always an epistemological element to metaphysics (see Aristotle’s idea of intuition, in his Posterior Analytics). But I think the error of modern philosophy is that if something doesn’t make sense epistemologically it must therefore be ruled out metaphysically. Descartes and Kant do this as does idealism.

I actually think you are spot on! I agree that metaphysics is more fundamental.

 

[Dave1]

Going back to the original question …

What I’m wondering is … is Dr. Adler correct when he says idealism is the greatest error of modern philosophy? I think we can see idealism not only in contemporary philosophy but also in society and popular culture.

I could be wrong, so I’m wondering what you think?

Dave