John Marenbon
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780197265499
- eISBN:
- 9780191760310
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265499.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
This introductory chapter explains how medieval philosophy has hardly made an appearance before in this series of philosophy lectures, and why the author decided on a theme that brings together ...
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This introductory chapter explains how medieval philosophy has hardly made an appearance before in this series of philosophy lectures, and why the author decided on a theme that brings together thinkers from the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It then briefly summarizes the arguments of the three main chapters and of the responses to them.Less
This introductory chapter explains how medieval philosophy has hardly made an appearance before in this series of philosophy lectures, and why the author decided on a theme that brings together thinkers from the Middle Ages and the early modern period. It then briefly summarizes the arguments of the three main chapters and of the responses to them.
Jon McGinnis
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195331479
- eISBN:
- 9780199868032
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195331479.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Islam
The aim of the present work is threefold. One, it intends to place the thought of Avicenna within its proper historical context, whether the philosophical-scientific tradition inherited from the ...
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The aim of the present work is threefold. One, it intends to place the thought of Avicenna within its proper historical context, whether the philosophical-scientific tradition inherited from the Greeks or the indigenous influences coming from the medieval Islamic world. Thus, in addition to a substantive introductory chapter on the Greek and Arabic sources and influences to which Avicenna was heir, the historical and philosophical context central to Avicenna’s own thought is provided in order to assess and appreciate his achievement in the specific fields treated in that chapter. Two, the present volume aims to offer a philosophical survey of Avicenna’s entire system of thought ranging from his understanding of the interrelation of logic, physics, psychology, metaphysics, ethics, politics, and medicine. The emphasis here is on how, using a relatively small handful of novel insights, Avicenna was not only able to address a whole series of issues that had troubled earlier philosophers working in both the ancient Hellenistic and medieval Islamic world, but also how those insights fundamentally changed the direction philosophy took, certainly in the Islamic East, but even in the Jewish and Christian milieus. Three, the present volume will provide philosophers, historians of science, and students of medieval thought with a starting point from which to assess the place, significance, and influence of Avicenna and his philosophy within the history of ideas.Less
The aim of the present work is threefold. One, it intends to place the thought of Avicenna within its proper historical context, whether the philosophical-scientific tradition inherited from the Greeks or the indigenous influences coming from the medieval Islamic world. Thus, in addition to a substantive introductory chapter on the Greek and Arabic sources and influences to which Avicenna was heir, the historical and philosophical context central to Avicenna’s own thought is provided in order to assess and appreciate his achievement in the specific fields treated in that chapter. Two, the present volume aims to offer a philosophical survey of Avicenna’s entire system of thought ranging from his understanding of the interrelation of logic, physics, psychology, metaphysics, ethics, politics, and medicine. The emphasis here is on how, using a relatively small handful of novel insights, Avicenna was not only able to address a whole series of issues that had troubled earlier philosophers working in both the ancient Hellenistic and medieval Islamic world, but also how those insights fundamentally changed the direction philosophy took, certainly in the Islamic East, but even in the Jewish and Christian milieus. Three, the present volume will provide philosophers, historians of science, and students of medieval thought with a starting point from which to assess the place, significance, and influence of Avicenna and his philosophy within the history of ideas.
Richard Niland
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199580347
- eISBN:
- 9780191722738
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199580347.003.0002
- Subject:
- Literature, 20th-century Literature and Modernism, European Literature
This chapter introduces the Polish philosophical background to Conrad's life and writing. By outlining the importance of Hegel's philosophy of history in nineteenth-century Europe, the chapter ...
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This chapter introduces the Polish philosophical background to Conrad's life and writing. By outlining the importance of Hegel's philosophy of history in nineteenth-century Europe, the chapter analyses the Polish response to this thought giving a detailed study of Polish philosopher August Cieszkowski, a relatively neglected figure. The chapter then outlines the clash between Romanticism and Positivism in Conrad's Polish heritage before concluding with a discussion of how these conflicting attitude to history and the nation appear in The Nigger of the ‘Narcissus.’Less
This chapter introduces the Polish philosophical background to Conrad's life and writing. By outlining the importance of Hegel's philosophy of history in nineteenth-century Europe, the chapter analyses the Polish response to this thought giving a detailed study of Polish philosopher August Cieszkowski, a relatively neglected figure. The chapter then outlines the clash between Romanticism and Positivism in Conrad's Polish heritage before concluding with a discussion of how these conflicting attitude to history and the nation appear in The Nigger of the ‘Narcissus.’
Eric Watkins (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- February 2006
- ISBN:
- 9780195133059
- eISBN:
- 9780199786169
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195133056.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
Kant’s contributions to the central problems of philosophy — metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics — have received considerable attention. What is far less studied is his interest in the ...
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Kant’s contributions to the central problems of philosophy — metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics — have received considerable attention. What is far less studied is his interest in the sciences. This book reveals the deep unity of Kant’s conception of science as it bears on the particular sciences of his day (such as physics, chemistry, anthropology, history, psychology, and biology), and on his conception of philosophy’s function with respect to them. This collection of twelve essays consider different aspects of Kant’s conception of science.Less
Kant’s contributions to the central problems of philosophy — metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics — have received considerable attention. What is far less studied is his interest in the sciences. This book reveals the deep unity of Kant’s conception of science as it bears on the particular sciences of his day (such as physics, chemistry, anthropology, history, psychology, and biology), and on his conception of philosophy’s function with respect to them. This collection of twelve essays consider different aspects of Kant’s conception of science.
Johann Neem
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195342536
- eISBN:
- 9780199867042
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195342536.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Thomas Jefferson is famous for believing that reason would moderate American Christianity. In time, he prophesied, Americans would replace faith‐based Christianity with a Unitarian Christianity ...
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Thomas Jefferson is famous for believing that reason would moderate American Christianity. In time, he prophesied, Americans would replace faith‐based Christianity with a Unitarian Christianity better suited for a republic. This chapter explores Jefferson's theory of historical progress to understand how he reached his mistaken conclusion at a time when evangelical Christianity, far from receding, was deepening its influence in American culture. It argues that Jefferson believed that a “wall of separation” between church and state would reform American Christianity by subjecting it to public scrutiny.Less
Thomas Jefferson is famous for believing that reason would moderate American Christianity. In time, he prophesied, Americans would replace faith‐based Christianity with a Unitarian Christianity better suited for a republic. This chapter explores Jefferson's theory of historical progress to understand how he reached his mistaken conclusion at a time when evangelical Christianity, far from receding, was deepening its influence in American culture. It argues that Jefferson believed that a “wall of separation” between church and state would reform American Christianity by subjecting it to public scrutiny.
Richard Sorabji
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199289974
- eISBN:
- 9780191711008
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199289974.003.0019
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy
This chapter discusses some of the author's and Myles Burnyeat's intersecting views about the history of philosophy. It identifies barriers within and between philosophical traditions, as well as ...
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This chapter discusses some of the author's and Myles Burnyeat's intersecting views about the history of philosophy. It identifies barriers within and between philosophical traditions, as well as suggests that philosophical ideas can revive more freely than one might expect. It argues that although philosophy does not progress, each individual can progress in his or her personal search for understanding, and this makes philosophy of great value to the individual.Less
This chapter discusses some of the author's and Myles Burnyeat's intersecting views about the history of philosophy. It identifies barriers within and between philosophical traditions, as well as suggests that philosophical ideas can revive more freely than one might expect. It argues that although philosophy does not progress, each individual can progress in his or her personal search for understanding, and this makes philosophy of great value to the individual.
Miklos Vetö
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195373431
- eISBN:
- 9780199871681
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195373431.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
This chapter explores Jonathan Edwards’s work as a philosopher, discussing what that phrase means, and reviewing the possible sources of his thought, mainly among certain English philosophers of the ...
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This chapter explores Jonathan Edwards’s work as a philosopher, discussing what that phrase means, and reviewing the possible sources of his thought, mainly among certain English philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries. Then this chapter analyzes three major domains in Edwards’s philosophy—his ontology, theory of knowledge, and understanding of the will. First it shows that Edwards’s “idealism” can be seen properly only through the prism of his ontology and epistemology. Then it unpacks Edwards’s complex doctrine of spiritual knowledge, an intriguing synthesis of aesthetic, ethical, and religious elements. This chapter’s explanation of knowledge as committed and morally qualified leads naturally to Edwards’s description of the power of the will. The chapter tries to do justice to some of the implications of this doctrine. In the last section, it measures Edwards’s significance in the history of philosophy.Less
This chapter explores Jonathan Edwards’s work as a philosopher, discussing what that phrase means, and reviewing the possible sources of his thought, mainly among certain English philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries. Then this chapter analyzes three major domains in Edwards’s philosophy—his ontology, theory of knowledge, and understanding of the will. First it shows that Edwards’s “idealism” can be seen properly only through the prism of his ontology and epistemology. Then it unpacks Edwards’s complex doctrine of spiritual knowledge, an intriguing synthesis of aesthetic, ethical, and religious elements. This chapter’s explanation of knowledge as committed and morally qualified leads naturally to Edwards’s description of the power of the will. The chapter tries to do justice to some of the implications of this doctrine. In the last section, it measures Edwards’s significance in the history of philosophy.
Kerwin Lee Klein
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520268814
- eISBN:
- 9780520948297
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520268814.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, Historiography
This chapter outlines the emergence of the “philosophy of history” as both a research specialty and a term of art in cold war North America. It explains that before the Second World War, essentially ...
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This chapter outlines the emergence of the “philosophy of history” as both a research specialty and a term of art in cold war North America. It explains that before the Second World War, essentially no respectable academic in Canada, Great Britain, or the United States felt they could be identified as a philosopher of history. It argues that philosophy of history remained popularly identified with old-fangled universal history, and new conceptions of science, especially those developed in analytical philosophy, posing special challenges, as philosophers came to suspect that history could never attain the logical precision of a true science. It details that by the mid-1960s, history and theory, a more nearly “scientific” phrase threatened to displace philosophy of history, just as the failure of historical discourse to conform to idealized conceptions of scientific method opened the possibility that history might be redefined as an aesthetic practice.Less
This chapter outlines the emergence of the “philosophy of history” as both a research specialty and a term of art in cold war North America. It explains that before the Second World War, essentially no respectable academic in Canada, Great Britain, or the United States felt they could be identified as a philosopher of history. It argues that philosophy of history remained popularly identified with old-fangled universal history, and new conceptions of science, especially those developed in analytical philosophy, posing special challenges, as philosophers came to suspect that history could never attain the logical precision of a true science. It details that by the mid-1960s, history and theory, a more nearly “scientific” phrase threatened to displace philosophy of history, just as the failure of historical discourse to conform to idealized conceptions of scientific method opened the possibility that history might be redefined as an aesthetic practice.
Michael Frede
Katerina Ierodiakonou (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2022
- Published Online:
- December 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198840725
- eISBN:
- 9780191882623
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198840725.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
This book presents the Nellie Wallace lectures which Michael Frede gave in Oxford in 1989–90. These lectures discuss how the history of philosophy has been studied and how it should be studied. There ...
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This book presents the Nellie Wallace lectures which Michael Frede gave in Oxford in 1989–90. These lectures discuss how the history of philosophy has been studied and how it should be studied. There are three systematical approaches to the history of philosophy which run under the same heading ‘history of philosophy’ and deal with the same material, but they are distinct enterprises: philosophical doxography, philosophical history of philosophy, and historical history of philosophy. All three enterprises are perfectly legitimate, but the lectures give priority to the historical history of philosophy, since the other two ultimately have to rely on its findings. Thus, the lectures start by showing how the historical history of philosophy differs from the two philosophical studies of the history of philosophy. They then examine the historical discipline in more detail, and finally look into the consequences of its practice.Less
This book presents the Nellie Wallace lectures which Michael Frede gave in Oxford in 1989–90. These lectures discuss how the history of philosophy has been studied and how it should be studied. There are three systematical approaches to the history of philosophy which run under the same heading ‘history of philosophy’ and deal with the same material, but they are distinct enterprises: philosophical doxography, philosophical history of philosophy, and historical history of philosophy. All three enterprises are perfectly legitimate, but the lectures give priority to the historical history of philosophy, since the other two ultimately have to rely on its findings. Thus, the lectures start by showing how the historical history of philosophy differs from the two philosophical studies of the history of philosophy. They then examine the historical discipline in more detail, and finally look into the consequences of its practice.
Robert Eaglestone
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199265930
- eISBN:
- 9780191708596
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199265930.003.0006
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This chapter offers a new way to understand the relationship between history and truth, drawing on Martin Heidegger and Emmanuel Levinas. It argues that debates about history and representation, ...
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This chapter offers a new way to understand the relationship between history and truth, drawing on Martin Heidegger and Emmanuel Levinas. It argues that debates about history and representation, about history and memory, about whether history is an art or a science, are really debates about the sort of truth to which history aspires. Drawing on Bernard Williams and Donald Davidson, it argues that there are two rival conceptions of truth: truth as correspondence, and following Heidegger, that this relies upon the second sense of truth, truth as uncovering. The chapter then reinterprets Heidegger's understanding of truth in the light of Levinas's ethical philosophy, and argues for a new, ethical understanding of the role of history (history without historicism). It offers two examples of thinkers who implicitly draw on these distinctions, Isaiah Berlin and Hayden White.Less
This chapter offers a new way to understand the relationship between history and truth, drawing on Martin Heidegger and Emmanuel Levinas. It argues that debates about history and representation, about history and memory, about whether history is an art or a science, are really debates about the sort of truth to which history aspires. Drawing on Bernard Williams and Donald Davidson, it argues that there are two rival conceptions of truth: truth as correspondence, and following Heidegger, that this relies upon the second sense of truth, truth as uncovering. The chapter then reinterprets Heidegger's understanding of truth in the light of Levinas's ethical philosophy, and argues for a new, ethical understanding of the role of history (history without historicism). It offers two examples of thinkers who implicitly draw on these distinctions, Isaiah Berlin and Hayden White.
Jonathan I. Israel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199279227
- eISBN:
- 9780191700040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199279227.003.0018
- Subject:
- History, History of Ideas, European Modern History
This chapter discusses a major but hitherto remarkably little-mentioned new development in the history of European thought — the rise of ‘history of philosophy’, or historia philosophica. It was a ...
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This chapter discusses a major but hitherto remarkably little-mentioned new development in the history of European thought — the rise of ‘history of philosophy’, or historia philosophica. It was a crucially important new intellectual tool. The scholars who pioneered this novel study were mostly contemptuous of, and reacting against, the pervasive syncretism and notions of a general harmony of currents, or convergence of prisca sapientia and prisca theologia, which dominated Renaissance conceptions of the previous history of human thought.Less
This chapter discusses a major but hitherto remarkably little-mentioned new development in the history of European thought — the rise of ‘history of philosophy’, or historia philosophica. It was a crucially important new intellectual tool. The scholars who pioneered this novel study were mostly contemptuous of, and reacting against, the pervasive syncretism and notions of a general harmony of currents, or convergence of prisca sapientia and prisca theologia, which dominated Renaissance conceptions of the previous history of human thought.
Richard Niland
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199580347
- eISBN:
- 9780191722738
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199580347.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 20th-century Literature and Modernism, European Literature
This work examines the philosophy of history and the subject of the nation in the literature of Joseph Conrad. It explores the importance of nineteenth-century Polish Romantic philosophy in Conrad's ...
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This work examines the philosophy of history and the subject of the nation in the literature of Joseph Conrad. It explores the importance of nineteenth-century Polish Romantic philosophy in Conrad's literary development, arguing that the Polish response to Hegelian traditions of historiography in nineteenth-century Europe influenced Conrad's interpretation of history. After investigating Conrad's early career in the context of the philosophy of history, the book analyses Nostromo (1904), The Secret Agent (1907), and Under Western Eyes (1911) in light of Conrad's writing about Poland and his sustained interest in the subject of national identity. These novels treat the question of the nation and history, with Conrad juxtaposing his belief in an inherited Polish national identity, derived from Herder and Rousseau, with a sceptical questioning of modern nationalism in European and Latin American contexts. Nostromo presents the creation of the modern nation state of Sulaco; The Secret Agent explores the subject of ‘foreigners’ and nationality in England; while Under Western Eyes constitutes a systematic attempt to undermine Russian national identity. Conrad emerges as an author who examines critically the forces of nationalism and national identity that troubled Europe throughout the nineteenth century and in the period before the First World War. This leads to a consideration of Conrad's work during the Great War. In his fiction and newspaper articles, Conrad found a way of dealing with a conflict that made him acutely aware of being sidelined at a turning point in both modern Polish and modern European history. Finally, this book re-evaluates Conrad's late novels The Rover (1923) and Suspense (1925), a long-neglected part of his career, investigating Conrad's sustained treatment of French history in his last years alongside his life-long fascination with the cult of Napoleon Bonaparte.Less
This work examines the philosophy of history and the subject of the nation in the literature of Joseph Conrad. It explores the importance of nineteenth-century Polish Romantic philosophy in Conrad's literary development, arguing that the Polish response to Hegelian traditions of historiography in nineteenth-century Europe influenced Conrad's interpretation of history. After investigating Conrad's early career in the context of the philosophy of history, the book analyses Nostromo (1904), The Secret Agent (1907), and Under Western Eyes (1911) in light of Conrad's writing about Poland and his sustained interest in the subject of national identity. These novels treat the question of the nation and history, with Conrad juxtaposing his belief in an inherited Polish national identity, derived from Herder and Rousseau, with a sceptical questioning of modern nationalism in European and Latin American contexts. Nostromo presents the creation of the modern nation state of Sulaco; The Secret Agent explores the subject of ‘foreigners’ and nationality in England; while Under Western Eyes constitutes a systematic attempt to undermine Russian national identity. Conrad emerges as an author who examines critically the forces of nationalism and national identity that troubled Europe throughout the nineteenth century and in the period before the First World War. This leads to a consideration of Conrad's work during the Great War. In his fiction and newspaper articles, Conrad found a way of dealing with a conflict that made him acutely aware of being sidelined at a turning point in both modern Polish and modern European history. Finally, this book re-evaluates Conrad's late novels The Rover (1923) and Suspense (1925), a long-neglected part of his career, investigating Conrad's sustained treatment of French history in his last years alongside his life-long fascination with the cult of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Jonathan I. Israel
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199279227
- eISBN:
- 9780191700040
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199279227.003.0019
- Subject:
- History, History of Ideas, European Modern History
This chapter begins with a discussion of the revolutionary new idea of ‘l’histoire de l’esprit humain’ as a unitary process encompassing the whole of the human condition — an idea developed by Bayle, ...
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This chapter begins with a discussion of the revolutionary new idea of ‘l’histoire de l’esprit humain’ as a unitary process encompassing the whole of the human condition — an idea developed by Bayle, Fontenelle, Boulainvilliers, Fréret, Lévesque de Burigny, Mirabaud, Boureau-Deslandes, d’Argens, and Boulanger, and culminating in the young Diderot. It then turns to Diderot’s articles on history of philosophy.Less
This chapter begins with a discussion of the revolutionary new idea of ‘l’histoire de l’esprit humain’ as a unitary process encompassing the whole of the human condition — an idea developed by Bayle, Fontenelle, Boulainvilliers, Fréret, Lévesque de Burigny, Mirabaud, Boureau-Deslandes, d’Argens, and Boulanger, and culminating in the young Diderot. It then turns to Diderot’s articles on history of philosophy.
Marcel van Ackeren (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780197266298
- eISBN:
- 9780191872891
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197266298.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
Since the rise of analytical philosophy, the relation of philosophy and its past is more hotly debated among philosophers than ever. Some scholars analyse historical texts without reference to ...
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Since the rise of analytical philosophy, the relation of philosophy and its past is more hotly debated among philosophers than ever. Some scholars analyse historical texts without reference to current debates and their terminology, while others pursue first-order philosophy by focusing on problems instead of doxography—that is, without reference to their predecessors. A growing group, though, doubts that philosophy can be studied effectively on the basis of this sharp division. But does the study of the history of philosophy contribute to current philosophy? And, if it does, what precisely is the contribution? Does making such a contribution depend on using a specific method which determines how the historical perspective is related to systematic philosophy and philosophy in general? More generally, how do our assumptions about the relationship between historical and systematic perspectives affect our methodology and metaphilosophy or philosophy of philosophy? This volume presents and debates answers to these questions, which deserve to be addressed in their own right and not just as an adjunct to other discussions. The contributors of this volume provide diverse answers based on historical references, stretching from ancient philosophy to the most current debates, and also refer to various philosophical sub-disciplines.Less
Since the rise of analytical philosophy, the relation of philosophy and its past is more hotly debated among philosophers than ever. Some scholars analyse historical texts without reference to current debates and their terminology, while others pursue first-order philosophy by focusing on problems instead of doxography—that is, without reference to their predecessors. A growing group, though, doubts that philosophy can be studied effectively on the basis of this sharp division. But does the study of the history of philosophy contribute to current philosophy? And, if it does, what precisely is the contribution? Does making such a contribution depend on using a specific method which determines how the historical perspective is related to systematic philosophy and philosophy in general? More generally, how do our assumptions about the relationship between historical and systematic perspectives affect our methodology and metaphilosophy or philosophy of philosophy? This volume presents and debates answers to these questions, which deserve to be addressed in their own right and not just as an adjunct to other discussions. The contributors of this volume provide diverse answers based on historical references, stretching from ancient philosophy to the most current debates, and also refer to various philosophical sub-disciplines.
Patricia A. Blanchette
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199891610
- eISBN:
- 9780199933211
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199891610.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Logic/Philosophy of Mathematics
Frege’s Coneption of Logic explores the relationship between Frege’s understanding of conceptual analysis and his understanding of logic. It is argued that the fruitfulness of Frege’s ...
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Frege’s Coneption of Logic explores the relationship between Frege’s understanding of conceptual analysis and his understanding of logic. It is argued that the fruitfulness of Frege’s conception of logic, and the illuminating differences between that conception and those more modern views that have largely supplanted it, are best understood against the backdrop of a clear account of the role of conceptual analysis in logical investigation. The first part of the book locates the role of conceptual analysis in Frege’s logicist project. It is argued that, despite a number of difficulties, Frege’s use of analysis in the service of logicism is a powerful and coherent tool. As a result of coming to grips with his use of that tool, we can see that there is, despite appearances, no conflict between Frege’s intention to demonstrate the grounds of ordinary arithmetic and the fact that the numerals of his derived sentences fail to co-refer with ordinary numerals. The second part of the book explores the resulting conception of logic itself, and some of the straightforward ways in which Frege’s conception differs from its now-familiar descendants. In particular, it’s argued that consistency, as Frege understands it, differs significantly from the kind of consistency demonstrable via the construction of models. To appreciate this difference is to appreciate the extent to which Frege was right in his debate with Hilbert over consistency- and independence-proofs in geometry. For similar reasons, modern results such as the completeness of formal systems and the categoricity of theories do not have for Frege the same importance they are commonly taken to have by his post-Tarskian descendants. These differences, together with the coherence of Frege’s position, provide reason for caution with respect to the appeal to formal systems and their properties in the treatment of fundamental logical properties and relations.Less
Frege’s Coneption of Logic explores the relationship between Frege’s understanding of conceptual analysis and his understanding of logic. It is argued that the fruitfulness of Frege’s conception of logic, and the illuminating differences between that conception and those more modern views that have largely supplanted it, are best understood against the backdrop of a clear account of the role of conceptual analysis in logical investigation. The first part of the book locates the role of conceptual analysis in Frege’s logicist project. It is argued that, despite a number of difficulties, Frege’s use of analysis in the service of logicism is a powerful and coherent tool. As a result of coming to grips with his use of that tool, we can see that there is, despite appearances, no conflict between Frege’s intention to demonstrate the grounds of ordinary arithmetic and the fact that the numerals of his derived sentences fail to co-refer with ordinary numerals. The second part of the book explores the resulting conception of logic itself, and some of the straightforward ways in which Frege’s conception differs from its now-familiar descendants. In particular, it’s argued that consistency, as Frege understands it, differs significantly from the kind of consistency demonstrable via the construction of models. To appreciate this difference is to appreciate the extent to which Frege was right in his debate with Hilbert over consistency- and independence-proofs in geometry. For similar reasons, modern results such as the completeness of formal systems and the categoricity of theories do not have for Frege the same importance they are commonly taken to have by his post-Tarskian descendants. These differences, together with the coherence of Frege’s position, provide reason for caution with respect to the appeal to formal systems and their properties in the treatment of fundamental logical properties and relations.
Alan Patten
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199251568
- eISBN:
- 9780191598180
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199251568.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
The book offers the first full‐length treatment in English of Hegel's idea of freedom. It explores his theory of what it is for an individual to be free and his account of the social and political ...
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The book offers the first full‐length treatment in English of Hegel's idea of freedom. It explores his theory of what it is for an individual to be free and his account of the social and political contexts in which freedom is developed, realized, and sustained. The book investigates a number of central questions concerning Hegel's ethics and political theory. Is Hegel's outlook unacceptably conservative? Can freedom be equated with rational self‐determination? Is there any special connection between freedom and citizenship? By offering interpretations of Hegel's views on these and other questions, the book develops a novel ‘civic humanist’ reading of Hegel's social philosophy, one that restores to its proper, central place Hegel's idea of freedom. The book is written in a clear and jargon‐free style and will be of interest to anyone concerned with Hegel's ethical, social, and political thought and the sources of contemporary ideas about freedom, community, and the state.Less
The book offers the first full‐length treatment in English of Hegel's idea of freedom. It explores his theory of what it is for an individual to be free and his account of the social and political contexts in which freedom is developed, realized, and sustained. The book investigates a number of central questions concerning Hegel's ethics and political theory. Is Hegel's outlook unacceptably conservative? Can freedom be equated with rational self‐determination? Is there any special connection between freedom and citizenship? By offering interpretations of Hegel's views on these and other questions, the book develops a novel ‘civic humanist’ reading of Hegel's social philosophy, one that restores to its proper, central place Hegel's idea of freedom. The book is written in a clear and jargon‐free style and will be of interest to anyone concerned with Hegel's ethical, social, and political thought and the sources of contemporary ideas about freedom, community, and the state.
G. R. Boys-Stones
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199236343
- eISBN:
- 9780191717130
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199236343.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter argues that Hesiod's praise of one form of eris (‘strife’) makes him a symbol and archetype for what Plato sees as the unproductive squabbling of much subsequent philosophical debate. ...
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This chapter argues that Hesiod's praise of one form of eris (‘strife’) makes him a symbol and archetype for what Plato sees as the unproductive squabbling of much subsequent philosophical debate. His own philosophical methodology, underpinned by the assonant language of eros, is presented as a transformation of this eris, a transformation which retains what is positive in its drive for progress, while freeing itself of its tendency to polemic for polemic's sake.Less
This chapter argues that Hesiod's praise of one form of eris (‘strife’) makes him a symbol and archetype for what Plato sees as the unproductive squabbling of much subsequent philosophical debate. His own philosophical methodology, underpinned by the assonant language of eros, is presented as a transformation of this eris, a transformation which retains what is positive in its drive for progress, while freeing itself of its tendency to polemic for polemic's sake.
Peter Hylton
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198240181
- eISBN:
- 9780191597763
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019824018X.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
A general discussion of the problematic relationship between philosophy and its history; an argument against a common view as articulated by Richard Rorty. By contrast with that view, the aim of this ...
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A general discussion of the problematic relationship between philosophy and its history; an argument against a common view as articulated by Richard Rorty. By contrast with that view, the aim of this book is neither to refute Russell nor simply to appropriate aspects of his thought. It is, rather, to come to terms with his thought in this crucial period as a way of coming to terms with the beginnings of analytic philosophy. For those of us trained within the analytic tradition, this should be a route to an understanding of ourselves and our own philosophical position.Less
A general discussion of the problematic relationship between philosophy and its history; an argument against a common view as articulated by Richard Rorty. By contrast with that view, the aim of this book is neither to refute Russell nor simply to appropriate aspects of his thought. It is, rather, to come to terms with his thought in this crucial period as a way of coming to terms with the beginnings of analytic philosophy. For those of us trained within the analytic tradition, this should be a route to an understanding of ourselves and our own philosophical position.
Paul Russell
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195152906
- eISBN:
- 9780199869343
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195152905.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
This book presents a critical examination of Hume's views on the subject of freedom and moral responsibility. It is widely held that Hume's discussions “Of liberty and necessity,” as presented in ...
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This book presents a critical examination of Hume's views on the subject of freedom and moral responsibility. It is widely held that Hume's discussions “Of liberty and necessity,” as presented in both the Treatise and first Enquiry, constitute the classical statement of the “compatibilist” position – the view that freedom and moral responsibility cannot only be reconciled with causation but actually require it. According to the classical interpretation, what is central to Hume's strategy is a distinction between two kinds of freedom: a freedom that implies the absence of causation and a freedom that implies the absence of compulsion. Hume is understood as claiming that it is the second kind of freedom that is required for moral responsibility, whereas the first kind would make moral responsibility impossible. The general argument leading to this conclusion is taken to be essentially logical or conceptual in character. Contrary to the classical interpretation, I argue that it is the workings of moral sentiment, and not the concept of freedom that is fundamental to Hume's views concerning moral responsibility. More specifically, the compatibilist strategy that Hume pursues must be interpreted in terms of his detailed description of the circumstances in which people are felt to be responsible. These naturalistic commitments are directly relevant to Hume's complex understanding of how freedom relates to responsibility. It is his view that we must not exaggerate the importance of voluntariness and control for moral responsibility. These “naturalistic” aspects of Hume's position are not only crucial to understanding the nature and character of his own (distinctive) position on this subject they are also the key to understanding the considerable contemporary relevance of his naturalistic approach (e.g., in relation to P. F. Strawson's influential contributions on this subject).Less
This book presents a critical examination of Hume's views on the subject of freedom and moral responsibility. It is widely held that Hume's discussions “Of liberty and necessity,” as presented in both the Treatise and first Enquiry, constitute the classical statement of the “compatibilist” position – the view that freedom and moral responsibility cannot only be reconciled with causation but actually require it. According to the classical interpretation, what is central to Hume's strategy is a distinction between two kinds of freedom: a freedom that implies the absence of causation and a freedom that implies the absence of compulsion. Hume is understood as claiming that it is the second kind of freedom that is required for moral responsibility, whereas the first kind would make moral responsibility impossible. The general argument leading to this conclusion is taken to be essentially logical or conceptual in character. Contrary to the classical interpretation, I argue that it is the workings of moral sentiment, and not the concept of freedom that is fundamental to Hume's views concerning moral responsibility. More specifically, the compatibilist strategy that Hume pursues must be interpreted in terms of his detailed description of the circumstances in which people are felt to be responsible. These naturalistic commitments are directly relevant to Hume's complex understanding of how freedom relates to responsibility. It is his view that we must not exaggerate the importance of voluntariness and control for moral responsibility. These “naturalistic” aspects of Hume's position are not only crucial to understanding the nature and character of his own (distinctive) position on this subject they are also the key to understanding the considerable contemporary relevance of his naturalistic approach (e.g., in relation to P. F. Strawson's influential contributions on this subject).
David Pears
- Published in print:
- 1987
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198247708
- eISBN:
- 9780191598203
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198247702.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
This is the first of David Pears's acclaimed two‐volume work on the development of Wittgenstein's philosophy, covering the pre‐1929 writings. Part I of the first volume consists in a brief but ...
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This is the first of David Pears's acclaimed two‐volume work on the development of Wittgenstein's philosophy, covering the pre‐1929 writings. Part I of the first volume consists in a brief but eloquent overview of Wittgenstein's philosophy as a whole; Part II critically examines the earlier system, delineating and evaluating the central ideas (logical atomism, picture theory of meaning, and solipsism) with intellectual rigour and clarity. Pears succeeds in both offering an original realist interpretation of Wittgenstein's earlier thought, one that has found many followers, and in demarcating a structural framework that makes the internal organization of Wittgenstein's philosophy as a whole more accessible.Less
This is the first of David Pears's acclaimed two‐volume work on the development of Wittgenstein's philosophy, covering the pre‐1929 writings. Part I of the first volume consists in a brief but eloquent overview of Wittgenstein's philosophy as a whole; Part II critically examines the earlier system, delineating and evaluating the central ideas (logical atomism, picture theory of meaning, and solipsism) with intellectual rigour and clarity. Pears succeeds in both offering an original realist interpretation of Wittgenstein's earlier thought, one that has found many followers, and in demarcating a structural framework that makes the internal organization of Wittgenstein's philosophy as a whole more accessible.
