Shottenkirk Nominalism and Its Aftermath: The Philosophy of Nelson Goodman

1. Auflage 2009
ISBN: 978-1-4020-9931-1
Verlag: Springer-Verlag
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 174 Seiten

Nelson Goodman's disparate writings are often written about only within their own particular discipline, such that the epistemology is discussed in contrast to others' epistemology, the aesthetics is contrasted with more traditional aesthetics, and the ontology and logic is viewed in contrast to both other contemporary philosophers and to Goodman's historical predecessors. This book argues that that is not an adequate way to view Goodman. The separate disciplines of ontology, epistemology, and aesthetics should be viewed as sequential steps within his thought, such that each provides the ground rules for the next section and, furthermore, providing the reasons for limitations on the terms available to the subsequent writing(s). This is true not merely because this is the general chronology of his writing, but more importantly because within his metaphysics lies Goodman's basic nominalist ontology and logic, and it is upon those principles that he builds his epistemology and, furthermore, it is the sum of both the metaphysics and the epistemology, with the nominalist principle as the guiding force, which constructs the aesthetics. At the end of each section of this book, the consequent limitations imposed on his terms and concepts available to him are explicated, such that, by the end of the book, the book delineates the constraints imposed upon the aesthetics by both the metaphysics and the epistemology. This book will benefit not only the professionals in the field of philosophy, but will also help both graduate and upper level undergraduate students understand Goodman's disparate writings within their proper context, and hopefully will also encourage them to view philosophical thinking in a less truncated and departmentalized way.

Dr. Shottenkirk, like Nelson Goodman, is not only a philosopher but also has experience within tthe artworld. She is both an exhibiting artist and an art critic who has written extensively in major art criticism publications, such as Artforum and Art in America. This uniquely positions her to understand and evaluate Goodman's broad range of thought, most especially his aesthetics.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Shottenkirk, Dena

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Preface;7
2;Contents;10
3;Part I The Metaphysics;13
3.1;Chapter 1 The Basic Problem;14
3.1.1;1.1 General Terms;14
3.1.2;1.2 Universals: The Realists;15
3.1.3;1.3 Particulars: The Nominalists;15
3.1.4;1.4 The Twentieth Century Debate;17
3.2;Chapter 2 Goodman’s Nominalism;30
3.2.1;2.1 Abstract Entities;30
3.2.2;2.2 Extensionalism;34
3.2.3;2.3 Individuals;37
3.2.4;2.4 Classes;44
3.2.5;2.5 Qualia;48
3.2.6;2.6 Properties;53
3.3;Chapter 3 The Consequences of Goodman’s Nominalism for his Terminology;55
3.3.1;3.1 Introduction;55
3.3.2;3.2 No Properties;56
3.3.3;3.3 No Abstract Objects;57
3.3.4;3.4 Reference not Meaning;60
3.3.5;3.5 No Classes;61
3.3.6;3.6 No Fictive Reference;64
4;Part II The Epistemology;66
4.1;Chapter 4 Twentieth Century Epistemology;67
4.1.1;4.1 Introduction;67
4.1.2;4.2 Goodman Adopts the Postivists’ Aversion to Metaphysics;69
4.1.3;4.3 Goodman Rejects the Positivists’ Sense Data and Their Phenomenal Reality;72
4.1.4;4.4 Goodman Rejects the Positivists’ “The Given”;73
4.1.5;4.5 Goodman Adopts Semantics as Reference, not Meaning;74
4.1.6;4.6 Goodman Adopts the Rejection of the Analytic;75
4.2;Chapter 5 Constructionalism;77
4.2.1;5.1 Adequacy Criterion;77
4.2.2;5.2 Extensional Isomorphism;81
4.2.3;5.3 Anti-Foundationalism;83
4.2.4;5.4 Coherentism;85
4.2.5;5.5 Relativized Reference;87
4.2.6;5.6 Relativized Constructionalism;88
4.3;Chapter 6 The Effects of Goodman’s Nominalist Constructionalism on his Epistemology;91
4.3.1;6.1 Induction and Projection of Predicates;91
4.3.2;6.2 Epistemological Relativism;94
4.3.3;6.3 Metaphysical Pluralism:Worldmaking;97
4.3.4;6.4 Truth;101
4.4;Chapter 7 Influences on Goodman’s Philosophy;105
4.4.1;7.1 Introduction;105
4.4.2;7.2 Kant;106
4.4.3;7.3 Berkeley;108
4.4.4;7.4 James;109
4.5;Chapter 8 The Effects of Goodman’s Epistemology on his Terminology/Concepts;111
4.5.1;8.1 No Universal Truths;111
4.5.2;8.2 No Natural Kinds;112
4.5.3;8.3 Cultural Relativism;113
4.5.4;8.4 Knowledge from Human Sensory Systems is Non-natural and Constructed;114
4.5.5;8.5 No Autonomous Object;115
4.5.6;8.6 Object Does not Transmit Anything Other than what the Symbol System Determines;116
5;Part III The Aesthetics;117
5.1;Chapter 9 Goodman’s Expression as Reference;118
5.1.1;9.1 The Centrality of Reference;118
5.1.2;9.2 The Term “Expression”;119
5.1.3;9.3 Goodman on Representation;120
5.1.4;9.4 Goodman on Reference in Aesthetics;122
5.1.5;9.5 Goodman on Expression;125
5.2;Chapter 10 Goodman’s Metaphorical Exemplification;131
5.2.1;10.1 Possession and Exemplification;131
5.2.2;10.2 Instantiation as Part of a Constructed System;134
5.2.3;10.3 A Different Extension;137
5.3;Chapter 11 Aesthetics as a Branch of Epistemology;142
5.3.1;11.1 The Distinction Between Aesthetic and Non-aesthetic;142
5.3.2;11.2 The Similarity Between Aesthetic and Non-aesthetic;143
5.4;Chapter 12 The Effects of Goodman’s Nominalism andWorldmaking on his Aesthetics;147
5.4.1;12.1 Introduction;147
5.4.2;12.2 No Intensions/No Intentions;147
5.4.3;12.3 No Properties;151
5.4.4;12.4 No Referencing of General Terms or Fictive Entities;152
5.4.5;12.5 No Non-semantic Meanings;156
5.4.6;12.6 No Natural Symbols;157
5.4.7;12.7 No Central Role for Emotion;158
5.4.8;12.8 No Relation to Universal Truth;161
5.4.9;12.9 Conclusion;162
6;Bibliography;166
7;Index;172