In contemporary philosophy, a brute fact is one whose truth does not depend on some more fundamental fact or facts.
It has been suggested that achievement of a unified field theory would present the brute fact of our universe.
Read more about Brute Fact: Fact Hierarchy, Brute/scientific Fact, Anscombe, Searle, Criticism
Famous quotes containing the words brute and/or fact:
“All generous minds have a horror of what are commonly called “facts.” They are the brute beasts of the intellectual domain. Who does not know fellows that always have an ill-conditioned fact or two that they lead after them into decent company like so many bull-dogs, ready to let them slip at every ingenious suggestion, or convenient generalization, or pleasant fancy? I allow no “facts” at this table.”
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–1894)
“A fact is the end or last issue of spirit. The visible creation is the terminus or the circumference of the invisible world.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)