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`!Roderick Firth`! (January 30, 1917 – December 22, 1987)`:cite-ref-nyt-1-0[`F5bf`_`[1`#cite-note-nyt-1]`_`f] was an American philosopher. He was Professor of Philosophy at `F33f`_`[Harvard University`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Harvard_University]`_`f from 1953 until his death.`:cite-ref-nyt-1-1[`F5bf`_`[1`#cite-note-nyt-1]`_`f]

>>Contents

• `F0af`_`[Education`#education]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[Career`#career]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[See also`#see-also]`_`f

• `F0af`_`[References`#references]`_`f

-─

>>Education

Firth earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from `F33f`_`[Harvard`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Harvard]`_`f in 1943. His thesis was entitled `*Sense-Data and the Principle of Reduction`*.

>>Career

He taught at `F33f`_`[Brown University`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Brown_University]`_`f before joining the Harvard faculty in 1953.`:cite-ref-nyt-1-2[`F5bf`_`[1`#cite-note-nyt-1]`_`f]

Firth is noted for his defense of the `F33f`_`[ideal observer theory`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Ideal_observer_theory]`_`f in ethics`:cite-ref-2[`F5bf`_`[2`#cite-note-2]`_`f] and for his exploration of `F33f`_`[radical empiricism`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Radical_empiricism]`_`f.`:cite-ref-3[`F5bf`_`[3`#cite-note-3]`_`f] Firth also defended a form of `F33f`_`[semantic holism`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Semantic_holism]`_`f which he referred to as a "coherence theory of concepts" distinct from both the `F33f`_`[coherence theory of truth`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Coherence_theory_of_truth]`_`f and `F33f`_`[coherence theory of justification`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Coherence_theory_of_justification]`_`f.`:cite-ref-4[`F5bf`_`[4`#cite-note-4]`_`f] Firth debated his views on the nature of concept formation and `F33f`_`[epistemic privilege`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Epistemic_privilege]`_`f with `F33f`_`[Wilfrid Sellars`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Wilfrid_Sellars]`_`f against whom he defended the views of `F33f`_`[C. I. Lewis`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=C._I._Lewis]`_`f.`:cite-ref-5[`F5bf`_`[5`#cite-note-5]`_`f]`:cite-ref-6[`F5bf`_`[6`#cite-note-6]`_`f]

>>See also

• `F33f`_`[Phenomenalism`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Phenomenalism]`_`f

>>References

`:cite-note-nyt-1`!1.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-nyt-1-0]`_`f "Roderick Firth, Philosophy Professor, 70". `*`F33f`_`[The New York Times`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=The_New_York_Times]`_`f`*. December 27, 1987. p. 136.

`:cite-note-2`!2.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-2]`_`f `:citereffirth1952`aFirth, Roderick (March 1952). "Ethical Absolutism and the Ideal Observer". `*Philosophy and Phenomenological Research`*. `!12`! (3): 317–345. `F33f`_`[doi`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=Doi_(identifier)]`_`f:10.2307/2103988. `F33f`_`[JSTOR`:/page/wikibook/entry.mu`zim=wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2025-08.zim|entry_path=JSTOR_(identifier)]`_`f 2103988.

`:cite-note-3`!3.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-3]`_`f 1964 `*Journal of Philosophy`* 61 (19):545-557.

`:cite-note-4`!4.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-4]`_`f Firth, R. (1964). Coherence, Certainty, and Epistemic Priority. The Journal of Philosophy, 61(19), 545-557.

`:cite-note-5`!5.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-5]`_`f Sellars, W. (1981). Foundations for a metaphysics of pure process: The Carus lectures of Wilfrid Sellars. The Monist, 64(1).

`:cite-note-6`!6.`! `F0af`_`[↑`#cite-ref-6]`_`f Firth, R. (1981). Reply to Sellars. The Monist, 64(1), 91-101.

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