Analytic Philosophy

The History of an Illusion
Erscheinungsjahr 2007
ISBN: 978-0-8264-9003-2
Verlag: Continnuum-3PL

Buch, Englisch, 208 Seiten, Format (B × H): 161 mm x 240 mm, Gewicht: 476 g

Reihe: Continuum Studies in Philosophy

novel, critical account of the origins and development of the dominant school of philosophy in the English-speaking world.

Demonstrates the importance of the emerging field of history of analytic philosophy for understanding the nature and current status of analytic philosophy.
- Brings to light many overlooked historical sources on the origin and nature of analytic philosophy, in addition to interacting with canonical sources.
- Though analytic philosophy is known for its use of technical jargon and symbolic logic, this book avoids both.
- Though analytic philosophy is known for focusing sharply on narrowly defined problems, the book keeps the big picture in view by relating analytic philosophy's origin to broad philosophical, historical, scientific, and social issues

One would expect that so successful and controversial a philosophical school as analytic philosophy would have a clear platform of substantive philosophical views. However, this is not so. For at least 30 years, analytic philosophy has consisted in an increasingly loose and variable amalgam of philosophical topics, views and methods. This state of affairs has led some to claim that, despite its professional entrenchment, analytic philosophy is in a state of crisis. Analytic Philosophy: The History of an Illusion argues that this is so, and that the crisis is deeper and more longstanding than is usually recognized. Synthesizing data from early and recent studies on the historical and philosophical foundations of analytic philosophy as well as from canonical primary texts, it argues (1) that analytic philosophy has never involved significant agreement on substantive philosophical views, and thus that it has always been in this state of crisis, (2) that this fact was long hidden by the illusion that analytic philosophy was originally united in the metaphilosophical thesis that philosophy is linguistic analysis, and (3) that both the rise of analytic philosophy under this illusion and the preservation of its privileged status since the illusion's demise have been facilitated by a scientistic 'stance' that minimizes the traditional philosophical duty to examine one's most fundamental assumptions.

Zielgruppe

Academics, Postgraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Preston, Aaron

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Moderne Philosophische Disziplinen Philosophie des Geistes, Neurophilosophie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction
1. Crises in analytic philosophy
2. Analytic philosophy: conceptions and misconceptions
3. Traditional philosophy
4. The challenge of modern sciences
5. Scientism in the emergence of analytic philosophy 1
6. Scientism in the emergence of analytic philosophy 2
7. Conclusion
Bibliography

Über Autor(innen)

Aaron Preston is Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Malone College (USA). Previously he was at University of Southern California. He has written several articles for journals (e.g. The Monist) and was runner-up for the Metaphysical Society of America Aristotle Prize (2000).