science

Latitudinarianism (philosophy)

Latitudinarianism (philosophy) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Latitudinarianism (philosophy) rather than just read about it. In short: In philosophy, latitudinarianism is a position concerning de dicto and de re (propositional) attitudes. Latitudinarians think that de re attitudes are not a category distinct from de dicto attitudes; the former are just a special case of the latter.

Key takeaways

Latitudinarianism (philosophy) belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Latitudinarianism (philosophy) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Latitudinarianism (philosophy) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In philosophy, latitudinarianism is a position concerning de dicto and de re (propositional) attitudes. Latitudinarians think that de re attitudes are not a category distinct from de dicto attitudes; the former are just a special case of the latter. The term was introduced into discussions of de dicto and de re attitudes by Roderick Chisholm in his "Knowledge and Belief: 'De Dicto' and 'De Re'" (1976). Latitudinarianism has since also sometimes been called an "unrestricted exportation" view.

References and further reading Baker, Lynne Rudder (1982). "De Re Belief in Action" The Philosophical Review, Vol. 91, No. 3, pp. 363–387. Chisholm, Roderick (1976). "Knowledge and Belief: 'De Dicto' and 'De Re'" Philosophical Studies 29, pp. 1-20. Quine, W. V. O. (1956). "Quantifiers and Propositional Attitudes" Journal of Philosophy 53. Reprinted in Quine's Ways of Paradox (1976), pp. 185–196. Sosa, Ernest (1995). "Fregean Reference Defended" Philosophical Issues, Vol. 6, Content, pp. 91–99.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Latitudinarianism (philosophy)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Latitudinarianism (philosophy) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Latitudinarianism (philosophy) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Latitudinarianism (philosophy) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Latitudinarianism (philosophy)

In research: Latitudinarianism (philosophy) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Latitudinarianism (philosophy) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Latitudinarianism (philosophy) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Epistemological theories, Epistemology stubs, Linguistics stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Latitudinarianism (philosophy) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Latitudinarianism (philosophy) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Latitudinarianism (philosophy) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Latitudinarianism (philosophy) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Latitudinarianism (philosophy) in simple terms?

Why does Latitudinarianism (philosophy) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Latitudinarianism (philosophy)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Latitudinarianism (philosophy).