Quine did not think that the “analytic-synthetic distinction” could be defended, because he did not think that “analytic” could be defined in a non-circular way. He had a holistic view of knowledge, likening the whole of all of our theories to a “web.” He believed that assertions of existence were relative to specific theories, and he thought that philosophical epistemology should be “naturalized.” By this he meant that philosophical epistemology should be consistent with standards for scientific truth.