Instinct
The existence of distinct instincts has long been debated. Proponents of instinct argue that we eat because of hunger, drink because of thirst, and so forth. Some have even argued for the existence of God based on this criterion, arguing that the object of every instinct has a referent in reality. The counterpoint of hunger is food; for thirst it is liquid; for the sex drive it is a mate. Instincts are not accepted as a reliable test because they are most often indistinct, variant and difficult to define. Additionally, universal instincts are so few that they offer little to the greater body of philosophy as a criterion.
Read more about this topic: Criteria Of Truth
Famous quotes containing the word instinct:
“Comparing man and woman on the whole, one may say: woman would not possess a genius for ornamentation if she did not also possess an instinct for the secondary role.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“He that but fears the thing he would not know
Hath by instinct knowledge from others’ eyes
That what he feared is chanced.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“To grant woman an equality with man in the affairs of life is contrary to every tradition, every precedent, every inheritance, every instinct and every teaching. The acceptance of this idea is possible only to those of especially progressive tendencies and a strong sense of justice, and it is yet too soon to expect these from the majority.”
—Susan B. Anthony (1820–1906)