An Introduction to Metaphilosophy
- Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, (c)2013.
- 1 online resource (250 pages)
- Cambridge Introductions to Philosophy .
Includes bibliographical references.
Cover; An Introduction to Metaphilosophy; Title; Copyright; Contents; Preface; 1 Introduction; Does the question matter?; The aims of the book; Outline of the rest of the book; 2 What is philosophy?; Introduction; What is (really existing) philosophy?; A continuum between two extremes; Philosophy as part of science; Philosophy as immature science; Philosophy as 'midwife' and 'residue' of the sciences; Platonism; Philosophy as the logic of science; Philosophy as a contribution to human understanding; Philosophy as transcendental inquiry; World views; Philosophy as 'edifying conversation' Conclusion3 Philosophy, science and the humanities; Introduction; Science: a tough act to follow; Progress in philosophy?; Aristotle goes to college: a thought experiment; Naturalism; Quine and Wittgenstein; The scientific image versus the manifest image; Philosophy and the humanities; Conclusion; 4 The data of philosophical arguments; Introduction; Phenomenology; Armchair phenomenology; The 'first-person plural assumption'; Phenomenological disputes; Conceptual analysis; Appealing to intuitions; Experimental philosophy; Intuition scepticism; Sceptical rejoinders. Concepts, conceptions and phenomenaConclusion; 5 Analytic and continental philosophy; Introduction; The labels and their extensions; The usual suspects; The role of Heidegger; Topics; Doctrines; Methods; Style; Revisionism and scepticism; Trails of influence and family resemblances; Is philosophy one subject?; Conclusion; 6 Philosophy and the pursuit of truth; Introduction; Metaphors and the contingency of language; Historicism; Philosophy as poetry; The possibility of criticism; Systematicity in philosophy; Conclusion; 7 What is good philosophy?; Introduction: a question of standards. Philosophers and SophistsPhilosophical style; Philosophical rigour; Philosophical virtues; Reflectiveness; Seriousness; Conclusion; 8 What good is philosophy?; Introduction; Challenges to philosophy; The products of philosophy; Uses of analysis; World views; Types of world view; Philosophy and values; Moral improvement?; Applied philosophy; Ethical experts?; The practice of philosophy; Philosophy as therapy; Conclusion; References; Index.
A clear and comprehensive introduction to what philosophy is, how it should be done and why we should do it.