Jeffrey C. King
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199226061
- eISBN:
- 9780191710377
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199226061.003.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Language
This introductory chapter begins with a brief analysis of why philosophers believe in propositions. The main purpose of the book is then discussed, which is to formulate and defend a detailed account ...
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This introductory chapter begins with a brief analysis of why philosophers believe in propositions. The main purpose of the book is then discussed, which is to formulate and defend a detailed account of the metaphysical nature of propositions. In so doing, it discusses some oppositions to propositions as well. It is argued that there is no mystery about what propositions are. Given rather minimal assumptions it follows that propostions exist, and we can begin to see how and why they have truth conditions and so represent the world as being a certain way. An overview of the chapters included in the volume is presented.Less
This introductory chapter begins with a brief analysis of why philosophers believe in propositions. The main purpose of the book is then discussed, which is to formulate and defend a detailed account of the metaphysical nature of propositions. In so doing, it discusses some oppositions to propositions as well. It is argued that there is no mystery about what propositions are. Given rather minimal assumptions it follows that propostions exist, and we can begin to see how and why they have truth conditions and so represent the world as being a certain way. An overview of the chapters included in the volume is presented.
Morwenna Ludlow
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199280766
- eISBN:
- 9780191712906
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199280766.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
This chapter presents an overview of the four different interpretations of the doctrine of the Trinity discussed in the two succeeding chapters included in Part I of this book. All of them use ...
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This chapter presents an overview of the four different interpretations of the doctrine of the Trinity discussed in the two succeeding chapters included in Part I of this book. All of them use Gregory of Nyssa's writings; some focus on him in more detail than others. The authors have been divided into two pairs, each highlighting a particular interpretation of Gregory's work, that is, Gregory as philosopher and Gregory as a (proto-) ‘social Trinitarian’.Less
This chapter presents an overview of the four different interpretations of the doctrine of the Trinity discussed in the two succeeding chapters included in Part I of this book. All of them use Gregory of Nyssa's writings; some focus on him in more detail than others. The authors have been divided into two pairs, each highlighting a particular interpretation of Gregory's work, that is, Gregory as philosopher and Gregory as a (proto-) ‘social Trinitarian’.
Oliver D. Crisp and Michael C. Rea (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199203567
- eISBN:
- 9780191708190
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199203567.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Philosophy of Religion
Philosophy in the English-speaking world is dominated by analytical approaches to its problems and projects; but theology has been dominated by alternative approaches. Many would say that the current ...
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Philosophy in the English-speaking world is dominated by analytical approaches to its problems and projects; but theology has been dominated by alternative approaches. Many would say that the current state in theology is not mere historical accident, but is, rather, how things ought to be. On the other hand, many others would say precisely the opposite: that theology as a discipline has been beguiled and taken largely deleterious. The methodological divide between systematic theologians and analytic philosophers of religion is ripe for exploration. This book attempts to bring a much-needed interdisciplinary conversation about the value of analytic philosophical approaches to theological topics. Most of the chapters are sympathetic to the enterprise of analytic theology; but with an eye towards balance.Less
Philosophy in the English-speaking world is dominated by analytical approaches to its problems and projects; but theology has been dominated by alternative approaches. Many would say that the current state in theology is not mere historical accident, but is, rather, how things ought to be. On the other hand, many others would say precisely the opposite: that theology as a discipline has been beguiled and taken largely deleterious. The methodological divide between systematic theologians and analytic philosophers of religion is ripe for exploration. This book attempts to bring a much-needed interdisciplinary conversation about the value of analytic philosophical approaches to theological topics. Most of the chapters are sympathetic to the enterprise of analytic theology; but with an eye towards balance.
Brian Davies
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198267539
- eISBN:
- 9780191600500
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198267533.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
The aim of this book is to give a general and introductory overview of the teaching and thought of Thomas Aquinas (1224–26 to 1274), a Dominican friar, and one of the greatest Western philosophers, ...
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The aim of this book is to give a general and introductory overview of the teaching and thought of Thomas Aquinas (1224–26 to 1274), a Dominican friar, and one of the greatest Western philosophers, and Christian theologians. Books on Aquinas invariably deal either with his philosophy or his theology; Aquinas himself, however, made no such arbitrary division, and this book allows him to be seen as a whole, in introducing almost the full range of his thinking, and relating this to writers both earlier and later. The author points out that all Aquinas’ major conclusions can be found in his first important work – Commentary on the Sentences, and that he did not change his mind radically throughout his writings, although some emphases shifted. Nevertheless, in this book, Aquinas’ thinkings are followed broadly in accordance with the scheme he provides in Summa Theologiae, which is considered to be his greatest achievement and is the best‐known synthesis of his thinking. Ways in which the thinking in Summa Theologiae differs from his thinking presented elsewhere are noted, and some of the treatment is selective (for example politics and aesthetics are not dealt with directly). Discussion is also omitted of Aquinas’ contribution to thirteenth‐century debates on the legitimacy and running of certain religious orders in the Catholic Church, which is now merely of historical interest.Less
The aim of this book is to give a general and introductory overview of the teaching and thought of Thomas Aquinas (1224–26 to 1274), a Dominican friar, and one of the greatest Western philosophers, and Christian theologians. Books on Aquinas invariably deal either with his philosophy or his theology; Aquinas himself, however, made no such arbitrary division, and this book allows him to be seen as a whole, in introducing almost the full range of his thinking, and relating this to writers both earlier and later. The author points out that all Aquinas’ major conclusions can be found in his first important work – Commentary on the Sentences, and that he did not change his mind radically throughout his writings, although some emphases shifted. Nevertheless, in this book, Aquinas’ thinkings are followed broadly in accordance with the scheme he provides in Summa Theologiae, which is considered to be his greatest achievement and is the best‐known synthesis of his thinking. Ways in which the thinking in Summa Theologiae differs from his thinking presented elsewhere are noted, and some of the treatment is selective (for example politics and aesthetics are not dealt with directly). Discussion is also omitted of Aquinas’ contribution to thirteenth‐century debates on the legitimacy and running of certain religious orders in the Catholic Church, which is now merely of historical interest.
Helen Beebee and Julian Dodd (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199283569
- eISBN:
- 9780191712708
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199283569.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Metaphysics/Epistemology, Philosophy of Language
Many contemporary metaphysicians and philosophers of language commit themselves to some version or other of the truthmaker principle: the thesis that truths must be made true by something. Such ...
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Many contemporary metaphysicians and philosophers of language commit themselves to some version or other of the truthmaker principle: the thesis that truths must be made true by something. Such truthmaker theorists have sought to justify their approach in various ways. Many have claimed that the truthmaker principle is a distillation of what is worth salvaging in the correspondence theory of truth; others have suggested that an adherence to the truthmaker principle enables us to avoid pernicious strains of idealism; yet others have argued that the principle has an essential explanatory function, such as that of enabling us to properly formulate the problem of universals. This volume sees both established leaders in the field and up-and-coming philosophical voices contribute to an examination of the claims made on behalf of truthmaker theory. An introductory essay by the editors introduces the reader to the key issues raised in the papers that follow. The said papers consider, amongst other matters, how the truthmaker principle is best formulated, whether it is well motivated, whether it genuinely has the explanatory roles claimed for it, and whether various more modest principles might serve equally well.Less
Many contemporary metaphysicians and philosophers of language commit themselves to some version or other of the truthmaker principle: the thesis that truths must be made true by something. Such truthmaker theorists have sought to justify their approach in various ways. Many have claimed that the truthmaker principle is a distillation of what is worth salvaging in the correspondence theory of truth; others have suggested that an adherence to the truthmaker principle enables us to avoid pernicious strains of idealism; yet others have argued that the principle has an essential explanatory function, such as that of enabling us to properly formulate the problem of universals. This volume sees both established leaders in the field and up-and-coming philosophical voices contribute to an examination of the claims made on behalf of truthmaker theory. An introductory essay by the editors introduces the reader to the key issues raised in the papers that follow. The said papers consider, amongst other matters, how the truthmaker principle is best formulated, whether it is well motivated, whether it genuinely has the explanatory roles claimed for it, and whether various more modest principles might serve equally well.
David P. Kinloch
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198151838
- eISBN:
- 9780191672859
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198151838.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 18th-century Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
This book rescues Joseph Joubert from the ranks of minor French moralistes, and, by tracing the development of his thought from his time as secretary to Diderot through to the period of his ...
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This book rescues Joseph Joubert from the ranks of minor French moralistes, and, by tracing the development of his thought from his time as secretary to Diderot through to the period of his association with Chateaubriand, demonstrates that he was a writer on aesthetics of considerable sensitivity. Examination of his manuscripts and of his annotation to books in his library shows that Joubert's primary concern, during the period that witnessed the gradual but profound change from the intellectual values of the Enlightenment to those of the Romantic period, was to establish the status and nature of art and poetry. Reading widely among philosophers and poets from Plato and Homer to Kant and André Chénier, Joubert consigned his thoughts and perceptions to a series of carnets that form the basis of this study and bear witness to an unusually eclectic and enquiring mind. Joubert's significance is not confined to the Enlightenment and Romantic periods. He is unique among writers of his day in the way that his own interrogation of the very act of writing anticipates the aesthetic of later, highly influential writers such as Mallarmé.Less
This book rescues Joseph Joubert from the ranks of minor French moralistes, and, by tracing the development of his thought from his time as secretary to Diderot through to the period of his association with Chateaubriand, demonstrates that he was a writer on aesthetics of considerable sensitivity. Examination of his manuscripts and of his annotation to books in his library shows that Joubert's primary concern, during the period that witnessed the gradual but profound change from the intellectual values of the Enlightenment to those of the Romantic period, was to establish the status and nature of art and poetry. Reading widely among philosophers and poets from Plato and Homer to Kant and André Chénier, Joubert consigned his thoughts and perceptions to a series of carnets that form the basis of this study and bear witness to an unusually eclectic and enquiring mind. Joubert's significance is not confined to the Enlightenment and Romantic periods. He is unique among writers of his day in the way that his own interrogation of the very act of writing anticipates the aesthetic of later, highly influential writers such as Mallarmé.
John Mullan
- Published in print:
- 1990
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198122524
- eISBN:
- 9780191671449
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198122524.001.0001
- Subject:
- Literature, 18th-century Literature
With the rise of the novel in the mid-18th century came the rise of sentimentalism. While the fondness for sentiment embarrassed later literary critics, it originally legitimized a morally suspect ...
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With the rise of the novel in the mid-18th century came the rise of sentimentalism. While the fondness for sentiment embarrassed later literary critics, it originally legitimized a morally suspect phenomenon: the novel. This book describes that legitimation, yet it looks beyond the narrowly literary to the lives and expressed philosophies of some of the major writers of the age, showing the language of feeling to be a resource of philosophers like David Hume and Adam Smith, as much as novelists like Samuel Richardson and Laurence Sterne.Less
With the rise of the novel in the mid-18th century came the rise of sentimentalism. While the fondness for sentiment embarrassed later literary critics, it originally legitimized a morally suspect phenomenon: the novel. This book describes that legitimation, yet it looks beyond the narrowly literary to the lives and expressed philosophies of some of the major writers of the age, showing the language of feeling to be a resource of philosophers like David Hume and Adam Smith, as much as novelists like Samuel Richardson and Laurence Sterne.
Dominic J. O’Meara
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199285532
- eISBN:
- 9780191717819
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199285532.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Ancient Philosophy
This chapter explores the reasons why a philosopher should take an interest in political life, as these reasons were discussed by Neoplatonists: the motivation derives from sharing in the absolute ...
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This chapter explores the reasons why a philosopher should take an interest in political life, as these reasons were discussed by Neoplatonists: the motivation derives from sharing in the absolute Good. The question of the philosopher-king’s happiness (can it suffer from political involvement?) is also discussed, as is the Neoplatonic defence of Plato’s claim that women philosophers should also rule (philosopher-queens).Less
This chapter explores the reasons why a philosopher should take an interest in political life, as these reasons were discussed by Neoplatonists: the motivation derives from sharing in the absolute Good. The question of the philosopher-king’s happiness (can it suffer from political involvement?) is also discussed, as is the Neoplatonic defence of Plato’s claim that women philosophers should also rule (philosopher-queens).
Jennifer Radden (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195151657
- eISBN:
- 9780199849253
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195151657.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, General
Spanning twenty-four centuries, this anthology collects over thirty selections of important Western writing about melancholy and its related conditions by philosophers, doctors, religious and ...
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Spanning twenty-four centuries, this anthology collects over thirty selections of important Western writing about melancholy and its related conditions by philosophers, doctors, religious and literary figures, and modern psychologists. Truly interdisciplinary, it is the first such anthology. As it traces Western attitudes, it reveals a conversation across centuries and continents as the authors interpret, respond, and build on each other's work. The editor provides an extensive, in-depth introduction that draws links and parallels between the selections, and reveals the ambiguous relationship between these historical accounts of melancholy and today's psychiatric views on depression.Less
Spanning twenty-four centuries, this anthology collects over thirty selections of important Western writing about melancholy and its related conditions by philosophers, doctors, religious and literary figures, and modern psychologists. Truly interdisciplinary, it is the first such anthology. As it traces Western attitudes, it reveals a conversation across centuries and continents as the authors interpret, respond, and build on each other's work. The editor provides an extensive, in-depth introduction that draws links and parallels between the selections, and reveals the ambiguous relationship between these historical accounts of melancholy and today's psychiatric views on depression.
Jonardon Ganeri
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198237884
- eISBN:
- 9780191679544
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198237884.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Language
The author of this book defends a conception of language as essentially a means for the reception of knowledge through testimony. He argues that the possibility of testimony constrains the form of a ...
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The author of this book defends a conception of language as essentially a means for the reception of knowledge through testimony. He argues that the possibility of testimony constrains the form of a theory of meaning. In particular, the semantic power of a word, its ability to stand for or take the place of a thing, derives from the epistemic powers of understanders, their capacity to acquire knowledge simply by understanding what is said. The author finds this account in the work of certain Indian philosophers of language, those belonging to the late classical school of Navya-Nyāya. He presents a detailed analysis of their theories, paying particular attention to the influential 17th-century philosopher Gadādhara. The author examines the Indian account of the meaning relation and its relata, the role of modes of thought as meaning constituents, and the application of the theory to theoretical names and anaphora.Less
The author of this book defends a conception of language as essentially a means for the reception of knowledge through testimony. He argues that the possibility of testimony constrains the form of a theory of meaning. In particular, the semantic power of a word, its ability to stand for or take the place of a thing, derives from the epistemic powers of understanders, their capacity to acquire knowledge simply by understanding what is said. The author finds this account in the work of certain Indian philosophers of language, those belonging to the late classical school of Navya-Nyāya. He presents a detailed analysis of their theories, paying particular attention to the influential 17th-century philosopher Gadādhara. The author examines the Indian account of the meaning relation and its relata, the role of modes of thought as meaning constituents, and the application of the theory to theoretical names and anaphora.
Robert Eisen
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195171532
- eISBN:
- 9780199785162
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195171532.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of the fascination with the Book of Job as evidenced by the diverse body of interpretations throughout the ages from religious thinkers in Judaism ...
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This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of the fascination with the Book of Job as evidenced by the diverse body of interpretations throughout the ages from religious thinkers in Judaism and Christianity from late antiquity to modern academic scholars. It presents a background of medieval Jewish philosophy, and then reviews the major challenges that interpreters of Job have faced throughout the ages. The present study aims to go beyond providing a description of how medieval Jewish philosophers read the Book of Job by drawing much-needed attention to the exegetical literature in medieval Jewish philosophy in general. By analyzing how medieval Jewish philosophers interpreted the Book of Job, the exegesis of these thinkers is brought to light as an exciting chapter in the history of Jewish thought, which neither scholars of medieval Jewish philosophy nor scholars of medieval Jewish exegesis can afford to ignore. A proper examination of the commentaries chosen and an assessment of their significance both as philosophical and exegetical works require that these be discussed on a number of levels. For each commentary, the discussion will focus on three interfaces: between the commentaries and their antecedent sources, between the commentaries and the biblical text, and between the commentaries and the systematic thought of the medieval Jewish philosophers.Less
This introductory chapter begins with a discussion of the fascination with the Book of Job as evidenced by the diverse body of interpretations throughout the ages from religious thinkers in Judaism and Christianity from late antiquity to modern academic scholars. It presents a background of medieval Jewish philosophy, and then reviews the major challenges that interpreters of Job have faced throughout the ages. The present study aims to go beyond providing a description of how medieval Jewish philosophers read the Book of Job by drawing much-needed attention to the exegetical literature in medieval Jewish philosophy in general. By analyzing how medieval Jewish philosophers interpreted the Book of Job, the exegesis of these thinkers is brought to light as an exciting chapter in the history of Jewish thought, which neither scholars of medieval Jewish philosophy nor scholars of medieval Jewish exegesis can afford to ignore. A proper examination of the commentaries chosen and an assessment of their significance both as philosophical and exegetical works require that these be discussed on a number of levels. For each commentary, the discussion will focus on three interfaces: between the commentaries and their antecedent sources, between the commentaries and the biblical text, and between the commentaries and the systematic thought of the medieval Jewish philosophers.
Robert Eisen
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195171532
- eISBN:
- 9780199785162
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195171532.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter focuses on discerning what Maimonides says about Job. In some passages, every line will have to be carefully scrutinized to get to Maimonides’ true intention. Only toward the end of the ...
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This chapter focuses on discerning what Maimonides says about Job. In some passages, every line will have to be carefully scrutinized to get to Maimonides’ true intention. Only toward the end of the chapter will it be possible to analyze Maimonides’ reading with respect to the three interfaces that are the focus of this study. It is shown that Maimonides’ reading of Job greatly influenced other medieval Jewish philosophers. In fact, there is no reading of Job in medieval Jewish philosophy after Maimonides that does not bear his imprint.Less
This chapter focuses on discerning what Maimonides says about Job. In some passages, every line will have to be carefully scrutinized to get to Maimonides’ true intention. Only toward the end of the chapter will it be possible to analyze Maimonides’ reading with respect to the three interfaces that are the focus of this study. It is shown that Maimonides’ reading of Job greatly influenced other medieval Jewish philosophers. In fact, there is no reading of Job in medieval Jewish philosophy after Maimonides that does not bear his imprint.
Robert Eisen
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195171532
- eISBN:
- 9780199785162
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195171532.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Despite the many difficulties presented by Ibn Tibbon’s discussion of the Book of Job in Ma’amar Yikkavu ha-Mayim, it is argued that with a close reading, his interpretation of Job can be deciphered. ...
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Despite the many difficulties presented by Ibn Tibbon’s discussion of the Book of Job in Ma’amar Yikkavu ha-Mayim, it is argued that with a close reading, his interpretation of Job can be deciphered. This will be the primary challenge of this chapter. Much of the chapter will be spent attempting to discern what Ibn Tibbon says about Job. Only when this is accomplished will it be possible to analyze his reading in accordance with the three interfaces that are the focus of this study. Ibn Tibbon has emerged here as an interpreter who sees himself primarily as a commentator on Maimonides, rather than as an independent thinker in his own right. It is also evident that despite his dependence on Maimonides, Ibn Tibbon sometimes comes up with insights that are very much his own. These include a host of ideas that supplement, but also at times overturn, Maimonides’ understanding of the biblical text. Most significant is Ibn Tibbon’s notion that the Book of Job is designed to teach that providence is to be equated with immortality and that there is no individual providence in this world that guards physical well-being.Less
Despite the many difficulties presented by Ibn Tibbon’s discussion of the Book of Job in Ma’amar Yikkavu ha-Mayim, it is argued that with a close reading, his interpretation of Job can be deciphered. This will be the primary challenge of this chapter. Much of the chapter will be spent attempting to discern what Ibn Tibbon says about Job. Only when this is accomplished will it be possible to analyze his reading in accordance with the three interfaces that are the focus of this study. Ibn Tibbon has emerged here as an interpreter who sees himself primarily as a commentator on Maimonides, rather than as an independent thinker in his own right. It is also evident that despite his dependence on Maimonides, Ibn Tibbon sometimes comes up with insights that are very much his own. These include a host of ideas that supplement, but also at times overturn, Maimonides’ understanding of the biblical text. Most significant is Ibn Tibbon’s notion that the Book of Job is designed to teach that providence is to be equated with immortality and that there is no individual providence in this world that guards physical well-being.
J. C. B. Gosling
- Published in print:
- 1969
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198243397
- eISBN:
- 9780191680670
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198243397.003.0003
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
This chapter discusses the different variations that are to be found among the views that are roughly classed together as hedonist. These come from two sources: the matter of what the philosopher in ...
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This chapter discusses the different variations that are to be found among the views that are roughly classed together as hedonist. These come from two sources: the matter of what the philosopher in question is out to do, and the matter of what sort of thing he thinks pleasure is.Less
This chapter discusses the different variations that are to be found among the views that are roughly classed together as hedonist. These come from two sources: the matter of what the philosopher in question is out to do, and the matter of what sort of thing he thinks pleasure is.
Stephen Gaukroger
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199296446
- eISBN:
- 9780191711985
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199296446.003.0007
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
The development of the persona of the natural philosopher is the key to understanding how natural philosophy becomes inserted into European culture in the 16th and 17th centuries. This chapter shows ...
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The development of the persona of the natural philosopher is the key to understanding how natural philosophy becomes inserted into European culture in the 16th and 17th centuries. This chapter shows in detail that notions of truth and justification turn just as much on conceptions of intellectual honesty as they do on notions of method. It looks primarily at the standing of the natural philosopher in Bacon, Galileo, Descartes, Boyle, and Royal Society apologists, focusing on claims that the natural philosopher requires a kind of intellectual honesty lacking in scholastic natural philosophy. This is closely tied in with one of the distinctive features of early-modern natural philosophy: that questions that had earlier been seen in terms of truth are now discussed instead in terms of impartiality and objectivity.Less
The development of the persona of the natural philosopher is the key to understanding how natural philosophy becomes inserted into European culture in the 16th and 17th centuries. This chapter shows in detail that notions of truth and justification turn just as much on conceptions of intellectual honesty as they do on notions of method. It looks primarily at the standing of the natural philosopher in Bacon, Galileo, Descartes, Boyle, and Royal Society apologists, focusing on claims that the natural philosopher requires a kind of intellectual honesty lacking in scholastic natural philosophy. This is closely tied in with one of the distinctive features of early-modern natural philosophy: that questions that had earlier been seen in terms of truth are now discussed instead in terms of impartiality and objectivity.
Clark Ian
- Published in print:
- 1988
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198273257
- eISBN:
- 9780191684012
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198273257.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
What is war, and how should it be waged? Are there restraints on its conduct? What can philosophers contribute to the study of warfare? It might appear to some that the practical activity of the ...
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What is war, and how should it be waged? Are there restraints on its conduct? What can philosophers contribute to the study of warfare? It might appear to some that the practical activity of the battlefield is a universe away from the sedate reflections of the philosopher, but this book argues that there is an important relationship between the concept of war and notions about its proper conduct, and that the practice of war requires a sound philosophical understanding of its nature. The author begins by discussing two traditional doctrines: the just war and the limited war. The first specifies the legitimate ends and means of warfare, viewed in essentially moral terms. The second adopts a more explicitly political view, asserting a need for the means to be proportionate to the objectives of war. Fresh insight is offered into the contrasts and comparisons between these two traditions. An exploration follows of the applicability of such ideas to issues in contemporary warfare: war crimes, choice of targets, restrictions on weapons, guerrilla warfare, and the particular problems associated with nuclear strategy and deterrence. What emerges is a synthesis of philosophy, history of warfare, political theory, and contemporary strategy, which describes how the ideas that are central to the nature of war have developed in the context of changing social, political, and technological environments, and proposes a meeting ground for the integration of the philosophy and practice of war.Less
What is war, and how should it be waged? Are there restraints on its conduct? What can philosophers contribute to the study of warfare? It might appear to some that the practical activity of the battlefield is a universe away from the sedate reflections of the philosopher, but this book argues that there is an important relationship between the concept of war and notions about its proper conduct, and that the practice of war requires a sound philosophical understanding of its nature. The author begins by discussing two traditional doctrines: the just war and the limited war. The first specifies the legitimate ends and means of warfare, viewed in essentially moral terms. The second adopts a more explicitly political view, asserting a need for the means to be proportionate to the objectives of war. Fresh insight is offered into the contrasts and comparisons between these two traditions. An exploration follows of the applicability of such ideas to issues in contemporary warfare: war crimes, choice of targets, restrictions on weapons, guerrilla warfare, and the particular problems associated with nuclear strategy and deterrence. What emerges is a synthesis of philosophy, history of warfare, political theory, and contemporary strategy, which describes how the ideas that are central to the nature of war have developed in the context of changing social, political, and technological environments, and proposes a meeting ground for the integration of the philosophy and practice of war.
Antony Black
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- May 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199281695
- eISBN:
- 9780191713101
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199281695.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
The polis (citizen-state) was ruled by warrior-citizens. Political debate kick-started philosophy and science; Aristotle later argued that humans fulfil their potential only in a polis. The Athenian ...
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The polis (citizen-state) was ruled by warrior-citizens. Political debate kick-started philosophy and science; Aristotle later argued that humans fulfil their potential only in a polis. The Athenian ideals of equality before the law, freedom of speech, and government by the people were reflected in popular law-courts and the citizens' assembly (direct democracy). Aeschylus portrayed the goddess Athene replacing divine vengeance with trial according to evidence and testimony before a citizens' jury. Plato, widely regarded as the founder of political philosophy, grounded political order on a theory of knowledge and rational dialectic; he wanted to replace democracy with philosopher-kings. But he later proposed a balance between experts and a citizen assembly under the sovereignty of the laws. His method was more influential than his conclusions. Aristotle undertook empirical investigation of actual states (political science); he concluded that a mixture of rule by the few and the many was best.Less
The polis (citizen-state) was ruled by warrior-citizens. Political debate kick-started philosophy and science; Aristotle later argued that humans fulfil their potential only in a polis. The Athenian ideals of equality before the law, freedom of speech, and government by the people were reflected in popular law-courts and the citizens' assembly (direct democracy). Aeschylus portrayed the goddess Athene replacing divine vengeance with trial according to evidence and testimony before a citizens' jury. Plato, widely regarded as the founder of political philosophy, grounded political order on a theory of knowledge and rational dialectic; he wanted to replace democracy with philosopher-kings. But he later proposed a balance between experts and a citizen assembly under the sovereignty of the laws. His method was more influential than his conclusions. Aristotle undertook empirical investigation of actual states (political science); he concluded that a mixture of rule by the few and the many was best.
Roslyn Weiss
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801449741
- eISBN:
- 9780801466052
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801449741.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Greek, Roman, and Early Christian Philosophy
In Plato's Republic, Socrates contends that philosophers make the best rulers because only they behold with their mind's eye the eternal and purely intelligible Forms of the Just, the Noble, and the ...
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In Plato's Republic, Socrates contends that philosophers make the best rulers because only they behold with their mind's eye the eternal and purely intelligible Forms of the Just, the Noble, and the Good. When they are endowed with an array of moral, intellectual, and personal virtues and appropriately educated, surely no one could doubt the wisdom of entrusting to them the governance of cities? Although it is widely assumed that all the Republic's philosophers are the same, the Republic actually contains two distinct portrayals of the philosopher. According to the book, Plato's two paradigms of the philosopher are the “philosopher by nature” and the “philosopher by design.” Philosophers by design, as the allegory of the Cave vividly shows, must be forcibly dragged from the material world of pleasure to the sublime realm of the intellect, and from there back down again to the “Cave” to rule the beautiful city envisioned by Socrates and his interlocutors. Yet philosophers by nature, are distinguished by their natural yearning to encounter the transcendent realm of pure Forms, as well as by a willingness to serve others—at least under appropriate circumstances. In contrast to both sets of philosophers stands Socrates, who represents a third paradigm, one that is only hinted at in the Republic. As a man who not only loves “what is” but is also utterly devoted to the justice of others, Socrates surpasses both the philosophers by design and the philosophers by nature. This book aims to challenge Plato scholars to revisit their assumptions about Plato's moral and political philosophy.Less
In Plato's Republic, Socrates contends that philosophers make the best rulers because only they behold with their mind's eye the eternal and purely intelligible Forms of the Just, the Noble, and the Good. When they are endowed with an array of moral, intellectual, and personal virtues and appropriately educated, surely no one could doubt the wisdom of entrusting to them the governance of cities? Although it is widely assumed that all the Republic's philosophers are the same, the Republic actually contains two distinct portrayals of the philosopher. According to the book, Plato's two paradigms of the philosopher are the “philosopher by nature” and the “philosopher by design.” Philosophers by design, as the allegory of the Cave vividly shows, must be forcibly dragged from the material world of pleasure to the sublime realm of the intellect, and from there back down again to the “Cave” to rule the beautiful city envisioned by Socrates and his interlocutors. Yet philosophers by nature, are distinguished by their natural yearning to encounter the transcendent realm of pure Forms, as well as by a willingness to serve others—at least under appropriate circumstances. In contrast to both sets of philosophers stands Socrates, who represents a third paradigm, one that is only hinted at in the Republic. As a man who not only loves “what is” but is also utterly devoted to the justice of others, Socrates surpasses both the philosophers by design and the philosophers by nature. This book aims to challenge Plato scholars to revisit their assumptions about Plato's moral and political philosophy.
Marc Van De Mieroop
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691157184
- eISBN:
- 9781400874118
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691157184.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
There is a growing recognition that philosophy isn’t unique to the West, that it didn’t begin only with the classical Greeks, and that Greek philosophy was influenced by Near Eastern traditions. Yet ...
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There is a growing recognition that philosophy isn’t unique to the West, that it didn’t begin only with the classical Greeks, and that Greek philosophy was influenced by Near Eastern traditions. Yet even today there is a widespread assumption that what came before the Greeks was “before philosophy.” This book presents a groundbreaking argument that, for three millennia before the Greeks, one Near Eastern people had a rich and sophisticated tradition of philosophy fully worthy of the name. In the first century BC, the Greek historian Diodorus of Sicily praised the Babylonians for their devotion to philosophy. Showing the justice of Diodorus’s comment, this is the first book to argue that there were Babylonian philosophers and that they studied knowledge systematically using a coherent system of logic rooted in the practices of cuneiform script. The book uncovers Babylonian approaches to knowledge in three areas: the study of language, which in its analysis of the written word formed the basis of all logic; the art of divination, which interpreted communications between gods and humans; and the rules of law, which confirmed that royal justice was founded on truth. The result is an innovative intellectual history of the ancient Near Eastern world during the many centuries in which Babylonian philosophers inspired scholars throughout the region—until the first millennium BC, when the breakdown of this cosmopolitan system enabled others, including the Greeks, to develop alternative methods of philosophical reasoning.Less
There is a growing recognition that philosophy isn’t unique to the West, that it didn’t begin only with the classical Greeks, and that Greek philosophy was influenced by Near Eastern traditions. Yet even today there is a widespread assumption that what came before the Greeks was “before philosophy.” This book presents a groundbreaking argument that, for three millennia before the Greeks, one Near Eastern people had a rich and sophisticated tradition of philosophy fully worthy of the name. In the first century BC, the Greek historian Diodorus of Sicily praised the Babylonians for their devotion to philosophy. Showing the justice of Diodorus’s comment, this is the first book to argue that there were Babylonian philosophers and that they studied knowledge systematically using a coherent system of logic rooted in the practices of cuneiform script. The book uncovers Babylonian approaches to knowledge in three areas: the study of language, which in its analysis of the written word formed the basis of all logic; the art of divination, which interpreted communications between gods and humans; and the rules of law, which confirmed that royal justice was founded on truth. The result is an innovative intellectual history of the ancient Near Eastern world during the many centuries in which Babylonian philosophers inspired scholars throughout the region—until the first millennium BC, when the breakdown of this cosmopolitan system enabled others, including the Greeks, to develop alternative methods of philosophical reasoning.
Robert B. Louden
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195321371
- eISBN:
- 9780199869787
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195321371.003.0004
- Subject:
- Philosophy, History of Philosophy
This chapter discusses Enlightenment philosophers' defense of commercial society and free trade. They defended the new commercial society because they believed it represented a better society — ...
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This chapter discusses Enlightenment philosophers' defense of commercial society and free trade. They defended the new commercial society because they believed it represented a better society — better morally, in the triple sense of being more just and tending toward greater liberty as well as equality; better economically, in the sense of producing more wealth and higher living standards; and better in terms of its beneficial spillover effects. The ultimate moral argument behind the multiple Enlightenment campaigns for free trade is that — commerce not only civilizes people, “operating to cordialize mankind”; if universalized, it will eventually “extirpate the system of war” and bring world peace.Less
This chapter discusses Enlightenment philosophers' defense of commercial society and free trade. They defended the new commercial society because they believed it represented a better society — better morally, in the triple sense of being more just and tending toward greater liberty as well as equality; better economically, in the sense of producing more wealth and higher living standards; and better in terms of its beneficial spillover effects. The ultimate moral argument behind the multiple Enlightenment campaigns for free trade is that — commerce not only civilizes people, “operating to cordialize mankind”; if universalized, it will eventually “extirpate the system of war” and bring world peace.
