Rationality: The Critical View

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Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 9024732751
Total Pages : 480 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (247 download)

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Book Synopsis Rationality: The Critical View by : Joseph Agassi

Download or read book Rationality: The Critical View written by Joseph Agassi and published by Springer. This book was released on 1987-04-30 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In our papers on the rationality of magic, we distinghuished, for purposes of analysis, three levels of rationality. First and lowest (rationalitYl) the goal directed action of an agent with given aims and circumstances, where among his circumstances we included his knowledge and opinions. On this level the magician's treatment of illness by incantation is as rational as any traditional doctor's blood-letting or any modern one's use of anti-biotics. At the second level (rationalitY2) we add the element of rational thinking or thinking which obeys some set of explicit rules, a level which is not found in magic in general, though it is sometimes given to specific details of magical thinking within the magical thought-system. It was the late Sir Edward E. Evans-Pritchard who observed that when considering magic in detail the magician may be as consistent or critical as anyone else; but when considering magic in general, or any system of thought in general, the magician could not be critical or even comprehend the criticism. Evans-Pritchard went even further: he was sceptical as to whether it could be done in a truly consistent manner: one cannot be critical of one's own system, he thought. On this level (rationalitY2) of discussion we have explained (earlier) why we prefer to wed Evans Pritchard's view of the magician's capacity for piece-meal rationality to Sir James Frazer's view that magic in general is pseudo-rational because it lacks standards of rational thinking.

Nietzsche and the Ancient Skeptical Tradition

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Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 0195368428
Total Pages : 243 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (953 download)

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Book Synopsis Nietzsche and the Ancient Skeptical Tradition by : Jessica Berry

Download or read book Nietzsche and the Ancient Skeptical Tradition written by Jessica Berry and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2011 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work presents a portrait of Nietzsche as the skeptic par excellence in the modern period, by demonstrating how a careful and informed understanding of ancient Pyrrhonism illuminates his reflections on truth, knowledge and morality, as well as the very nature and value of philosophic inquiry.

Understanding Empiricism

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317493826
Total Pages : 192 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (174 download)

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Book Synopsis Understanding Empiricism by : Robert G. Meyers

Download or read book Understanding Empiricism written by Robert G. Meyers and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-12-05 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Understanding Empiricism" is an introduction to empiricism and the empiricist tradition in philosophy. The book presents empiricism as a philosophical outlook that unites several philosophers and discusses the most important philosophical issues bearing on the subject, while maintaining enough distance from, say, the intricacies of Locke, Berkeley, Hume scholarship to allow students to gain a clear overview of empiricism without being lost in the details of the exegetical disputes surrounding particular philosophers. Written for students the book can serve both as an introduction to current problems in the theory of knowledge as well as a comprehensive survey of the history of empiricist ideas. The book begins by distinguishing between the epistemological and psychological/causal versions of empiricism, showing that it is the former that is of primary interest to philosophers. The next three chapters, on Locke, Berkeley, Hume respectively, provide an introduction to the main protagonists in the British empiricist tradition from this perspective. The book then examines more contemporary material including the ideas of Sellars, foundations and coherence theories, the rejection of the a priori by Mill, Peirce and Quine, scepticism and, finally, the status of religious belief within empiricism. Particular attention is paid to criticisms of empiricism, such as Leibniz's criticisms of Locke on innatism and Frege's objections to Mill on mathematics. The discussions are kept at an introductory level throughout to help students to locate the principles of empiricism in relation to modern philosophy.

Realistic Rationalism

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Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 9780262263290
Total Pages : 268 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (632 download)

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Book Synopsis Realistic Rationalism by : Jerrold J. Katz

Download or read book Realistic Rationalism written by Jerrold J. Katz and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 1997-12-08 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jerrold Katz develops a new philosophical position integrating realism and rationalism. In Realistic Rationalism, Jerrold J. Katz develops a new philosophical position integrating realism and rationalism. Realism here means that the objects of study in mathematics and other formal sciences are abstract; rationalism means that our knowledge of them is not empirical. Katz uses this position to meet the principal challenges to realism. In exposing the flaws in criticisms of the antirealists, he shows that realists can explain knowledge of abstract objects without supposing we have causal contact with them, that numbers are determinate objects, and that the standard counterexamples to the abstract/concrete distinction have no force. Generalizing the account of knowledge used to meet the challenges to realism, he develops a rationalist and non-naturalist account of philosophical knowledge and argues that it is preferable to contemporary naturalist and empiricist accounts. The book illuminates a wide range of philosophical issues, including the nature of necessity, the distinction between the formal and natural sciences, empiricist holism, the structure of ontology, and philosophical skepticism. Philosophers will use this fresh treatment of realism and rationalism as a starting point for new directions in their own research.

The Edge of Reason

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Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300222084
Total Pages : 282 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis The Edge of Reason by : Julian Baggini

Download or read book The Edge of Reason written by Julian Baggini and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2016-09-22 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An urgent defense of reason, the essential method for resolving—or even discussing—divisive issues: “A timely masterpiece.”—Patricia S. Churchland, author of Touching a Nerve Reason, long held as the highest human achievement, is under siege. According to Aristotle, the capacity for reason sets us apart from other animals, yet today it has ceased to be a universally admired faculty. Rationality and reason have become political, disputed concepts, subject to easy dismissal. Julian Baggini argues eloquently that we must recover our reason and reassess its proper place, neither too highly exalted nor completely maligned. Rationality does not require a cold, sterile worldview—it simply involves the application of critical thinking wherever thinking is needed. Addressing such major areas of debate as religion, science, politics, psychology, and economics, the author calls for commitment to the notion of a “community of reason,” where disagreements are settled by debate and discussion, not brute force or political power. Baggini’s insightful book celebrates the power of reason, our best hope—indeed our only hope—for dealing with the intractable quagmires of our time. “The toxic gloating of ‘gut feelings,’ hateful politics and heart-over-head attacks on good sense urgently need an antidote. Baggini has risen to the occasion…compelling.”—Patricia S. Churchland, author of Conscience: The Origins of Moral Intuition

The Minds of the Moderns

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1317492412
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (174 download)

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Book Synopsis The Minds of the Moderns by : Janice Thomas

Download or read book The Minds of the Moderns written by Janice Thomas and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-12-05 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a comprehensive examination of the ideas of the early modern philosophers on the nature of mind. Taking Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume in turn, Janice Thomas presents an authoritative and critical assessment of each of these canonical thinkers' views of the notion of mind. The book examines each philosopher's position on five key topics: the metaphysical character of minds and mental states; the nature and scope of introspection and self-knowledge; the nature of consciousness; the problem of mental causation and the nature of representation and intentionality. The exposition and examination of their positions is informed by present-day debates in the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of psychology so that students get a clear sense of the importance of these philosophers' ideas, many of which continue to define our current notions of the mental.Again and again, philosophers and students alike come back to the great early modern rationalist and empiricist philosophers for instruction and inspiration. Their views on the philosophy of mind are no exception and as Janice Thomas shows they have much to offer contemporary debates. The book is suitable for undergraduate courses in the philosophy of mind and the many new courses in philosophy of psychology.

Introduction to Philosophy

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781989014264
Total Pages : 196 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (142 download)

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Book Synopsis Introduction to Philosophy by : Guy Axtell

Download or read book Introduction to Philosophy written by Guy Axtell and published by . This book was released on 2022-01-26 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction to Philosophy: Epistemology engages first-time philosophy readers on a guided tour through the core concepts, questions, methods, arguments, and theories of epistemology-the branch of philosophy devoted to the study of knowledge. After a brief overview of the field, the book progresses systematically while placing central ideas and thinkers in historical and contemporary context. The chapters cover the analysis of knowledge, the nature of epistemic justification, rationalism vs. empiricism, skepticism, the value of knowledge, the ethics of belief, Bayesian epistemology, social epistemology, and feminist epistemologies. Along the way, instructors and students will encounter a wealth of additional resources and tools: Chapter learning outcomes Key terms Images of philosophers and related art Useful diagrams and tables Boxes containing excerpts and other supplementary material Questions for reflection Suggestions for further reading A glossary For an undergraduate survey epistemology course, Introduction to Philosophy: Epistemology is ideal when used as a main text paired with primary sources and scholarly articles. For an introductory philosophy course, select book chapters are best used in combination with chapters from other books in the Introduction to Philosophy series: https: //www1.rebus.community/#/project/4ec7ecce-d2b3-4f20-973c-6b6502e7cbb2.

All Or Nothing

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Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780674018884
Total Pages : 462 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (188 download)

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Book Synopsis All Or Nothing by : Paul W. Franks

Download or read book All Or Nothing written by Paul W. Franks and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2005-10-30 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Interest in German Idealism--not just Kant, but Fichte and Hegel as well--has recently developed within analytic philosophy, which traditionally defined itself in opposition to the Idealist tradition. Yet one obstacle remains especially intractable: the Idealists' longstanding claim that philosophy must be systematic. In this work, the first overview of the German Idealism that is both conceptual and methodological, Paul W. Franks offers a philosophical reconstruction that is true to the movement's own times and resources and, at the same time, deeply relevant to contemporary thought. At the center of the book are some neglected but critical questions about German Idealism: Why do Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel think that philosophy's main task is the construction of a system? Why do they think that every part of this system must derive from a single, immanent and absolute principle? Why, in short, must it be all or nothing? Through close examination of the major Idealists as well as the overlooked figures who influenced their reading of Kant, Franks explores the common ground and divergences between the philosophical problems that motivated Kant and those that, in turn, motivated the Idealists. The result is a characterization of German Idealism that reveals its sources as well as its pertinence--and its challenge--to contemporary philosophical naturalism.

The Demands of Reason

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Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 019955790X
Total Pages : 141 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (995 download)

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Book Synopsis The Demands of Reason by : Casey Perin

Download or read book The Demands of Reason written by Casey Perin and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2010-04-22 with total page 141 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Casey Perin presents a new interpretation of key ideas and arguments in Sextus Empiricus' Outlines of Pyrrhonism, a founding text of the Sceptical tradition in philosophy. Perin examines Sextus' commitment to the search for truth and to certain principles of rationality, the scope of his scepticism, and its consequences for action and agency.

Knowledge

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Publisher : Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN 13 : 019966126X
Total Pages : 153 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (996 download)

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Book Synopsis Knowledge by : Jennifer Nagel

Download or read book Knowledge written by Jennifer Nagel and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2014 with total page 153 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is knowledge? Is it the same as opinion or truth? Do you need to be able to justify a claim in order to count as knowing it? How can we know that the outer world is real and not a dream? Questions like these have existed since ancient times, and the branch of philosophy dedicated to answering them - epistemology - has been active for thousands of years. In this thought-provoking Very Short Introduction, Jennifer Nagel considers the central problems and paradoxes in the theory of knowledge and draws attention to the ways in which philosophers and theorists have responded to them. By exploring the relationship between knowledge and truth, and considering the problem of scepticism, Nagel introduces a series of influential historical and contemporary theories of knowledge, incorporating methods from logic, linguistics, and psychology, using a number of everyday examples to demonstrate the key issues and debates. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Varieties of Skepticism

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Publisher : Walter de Gruyter
ISBN 13 : 3110369710
Total Pages : 591 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (13 download)

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Book Synopsis Varieties of Skepticism by : James Conant

Download or read book Varieties of Skepticism written by James Conant and published by Walter de Gruyter. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 591 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume brings out the varieties of forms of philosophical skepticism that have continued to preoccupy philosophers for the past of couple of centuries, as well as the specific varieties of philosophical response that these have engendered — above all, in the work of those who have sought to take their cue from Kant, Wittgenstein, or Cavell — and to illuminate how these philosophical approaches are related to and bear upon one another. The philosophers brought together in this volume are united by the thought that a proper appreciation of the depth of the skeptical challenge must reveal it to be deeply disquieting, in the sense that skepticism threatens not just some set of theoretical commitments, but also-and fundamentally-our very sense of self, world, and other. Second, that skepticism is the proper starting point for any serious attempt to make sense of what philosophy is, and to gauge the prospects of philosophical progress.

The Logical Structure of the World

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Publisher : Univ of California Press
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 394 pages
Book Rating : 4./5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis The Logical Structure of the World by : Rudolf Carnap

Download or read book The Logical Structure of the World written by Rudolf Carnap and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1969 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Common Sense, Science and Scepticism

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Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9780521436250
Total Pages : 332 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (362 download)

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Book Synopsis Common Sense, Science and Scepticism by : Alan Musgrave

Download or read book Common Sense, Science and Scepticism written by Alan Musgrave and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1993-02-11 with total page 332 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can we know anything for certain? Dogmatists think we can, sceptics think we cannot, and epistemology is the great debate between them. Some dogmatists seek certainty in the deliverances of the senses. Sceptics object that the senses are not an adequate basis for certain knowledge. Other dogmatists seek certainty in the deliverances of pure reason. Sceptics object that rational self-evidence is no guarantee of truth. This book is an introductory and historically-based survey of the debate, siding for the most part with scepticism to show that the desire to vanquish it has often led to doctrines of idealism or anti-realism. Scepticism, science and common sense produce another view, fallibilism or critical rationalism: although we can have little or no certain knowledge, as the sceptics maintain, we can and do have plenty of conjectural knowledge. Fallibilism incorporates an uncompromising realism about perception, science, and the nature of truth.

Tales of the Rational

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 284 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Tales of the Rational by : Massimo Pigliucci

Download or read book Tales of the Rational written by Massimo Pigliucci and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Knowledge and Skepticism

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Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262014084
Total Pages : 383 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (62 download)

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Book Synopsis Knowledge and Skepticism by : Joseph Keim Campbell

Download or read book Knowledge and Skepticism written by Joseph Keim Campbell and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2010-05-21 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New essays by leading philosophers explore topics in epistemology, offering both contemporary philosophical analysis and historical perspectives. There are two main questions in epistemology: What is knowledge? And: Do we have any of it? The first question asks after the nature of a concept; the second involves grappling with the skeptic, who believes that no one knows anything. This collection of original essays addresses the themes of knowledge and skepticism, offering both contemporary epistemological analysis and historical perspectives from leading philosophers and rising scholars. Contributors first consider knowledge: the intrinsic nature of knowledge—in particular, aspects of what distinguishes knowledge from true belief; the extrinsic examination of knowledge, focusing on contextualist accounts; and types of knowledge, specifically perceptual, introspective, and rational knowledge. The final chapters offer various perspectives on skepticism. Knowledge and Skepticism provides an eclectic yet coherent set of essays by distinguished scholars and important new voices. The cutting-edge nature of its contributions and its interdisciplinary character make it a valuable resource for a wide audience—for philosophers of language as well as for epistemologists, and for psychologists, decision theorists, historians, and students at both the advanced undergraduate and graduate levels. Contributors Kent Bach, Joseph Keim Campbell, Joseph Cruz, Fred Dretske, Catherine Z. Elgin, Peter S. Fosl, Peter J. Graham, David Hemp, Michael O'Rourke, George Pappas, John L. Pollock, Duncan Pritchard, Joseph Salerno, Robert J. Stainton, Harry S. Silverstein, Joseph Thomas Tolliver, Leora Weitzman

The Rationalists

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Publisher : Anchor
ISBN 13 : 0307778924
Total Pages : 473 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (77 download)

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Book Synopsis The Rationalists by : Rene Descartes

Download or read book The Rationalists written by Rene Descartes and published by Anchor. This book was released on 2011-04-13 with total page 473 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Founded in the mid-17th century, Rationalism was philosophy's first step into the modern era. This volume contains the essential statements of Rationalism's three greatest figures: Descartes, who began it; Spinoza, who epitomized it; and Leibniz, who gave it its last serious expression.

Critical Rationalism

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Publisher : Open Court
ISBN 13 : 0812699408
Total Pages : 280 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (126 download)

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Book Synopsis Critical Rationalism by : David Miller

Download or read book Critical Rationalism written by David Miller and published by Open Court. This book was released on 2015-12-14 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David Miller elegantly and provocatively reformulates critical rationalism—the revolutionary approach to epistemology advocated by Karl Popper—by answering its most important critics. He argues for an approach to rationality freed from the debilitating authoritarian dependence on reasons and justification. "Miller presents a particularly useful and stimulating account of critical rationalism. His work is both interesting and controversial . . . of interest to anyone with concerns in epistemology or the philosophy of science." —Canadian Philosophical Reviews