Matter of Fact

Matter of Fact

A Matter of Fact, in the Humean sense, is the type of knowledge that can be characterized as arising out of one's interaction with and experience in the external world (as compared to a Relation of Ideas). In a Kantian framework, it is equivalent to the synthetic a posteriori.

Examples:
-The sun will come out tomorrow. (Not reason but habitual)
-There are people outside the room. (One cannot know what is outside one's own experience)

How We Know:
-It is impossible to "know."
-Depend upon The Principles of Induction and The Uniformity of Nature.
-Denying these do not lead to a contradiction.




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  • matter of fact — see matter Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam Webster. 1996. matter of fact …   Law dictionary

  • matter-of-fact — adj showing no emotion when you are talking about something exciting, frightening, upsetting etc matter of fact about ▪ Jan was surprisingly matter of fact about her divorce. matter of fact voice/tone ▪ Use a matter of fact tone when disciplining …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Matter of fact — Matter Mat ter, n. [OE. matere, F. mati[ e]re, fr. L. materia; perh. akin to L. mater mother. Cf. {Mother}, {Madeira}, {Material}.] 1. That of which anything is composed; constituent substance; material; the material or substantial part of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Matter of fact — Fact Fact (f[a^]kt), n. [L. factum, fr. facere to make or do. Cf. {Feat}, {Affair}, {Benefit}, {Defect}, {Fashion}, and { fy}.] 1. A doing, making, or preparing. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] A project for the fact and vending Of a new kind of fucus,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • matter-of-fact — also matter of fact, 1570s as a noun, originally a legal term (translating L. res facti), that portion of an enquiry concerned with the truth or falsehood of alleged facts, opposed to matter of law. As an adjective from 1712. Meaning prosaic,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • matter-of-fact — adjective showing no emotion when dealing with something upsetting, exciting, etc. a. used about someone s behavior or voice: a matter of fact tone ╾ ,matter of factly adverb ╾ ,matter of factness noun uncount …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • matter-of-fact — matter of factly, adv. matter of factness, n. /mat euhr euhv fakt /, adj. 1. adhering strictly to fact; not imaginative; prosaic; dry; commonplace: a matter of fact account of the political rally. 2. direct or unemotional; straightforward; down… …   Universalium

  • matter-of-fact — [mat΄ər əv fakt′] adj. sticking strictly to facts; literal, unimaginative, unemotional, prosaic, etc. matter of factly adv. matter of factness n …   English World dictionary

  • Matter-of-fact — Mat ter of fact , a. Adhering to facts; not turning aside from absolute realities; not fanciful or imaginative; commonplace; dry. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • matter-of-fact — index pragmatic Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • matter-of-fact — *prosaic, prosy Analogous words: stolid, phlegmatic, *impassive: arid, *dry: downright, *forthright Contrasted words: fanciful, *imaginary, fantastic, chimerical, quixotic, visionary: ideal, transcendent, transcendental (see …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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