Philosophical Inquiries

Philosophical Inquiries PDF Author: Nicholas Rescher
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Pre
ISBN: 0822973782
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 235

Get Book Here

Book Description
In Philosophical Inquiries, Nicholas Rescher offers his perspectives on many of the foundational concerns of philosophy and reminds us that the purpose of philosophy is to "question the questions." Rescher sees the need to inquire as an evolutionary tool for adapting to a hostile environment and shows how philosophy has thus developed in an evolutionary fashion, building upon acquired knowledge and upon itself. In a historical thread that informs and enriches his overview, Rescher recalls the contributions of Aristotle, Plato, Plotinus, Kant, Hegel, Leibniz, Laplace, Bertrand Russell, and others.Among his many topics, Rescher discusses knowledge and the unattainablity of absolutes, skepticism and its self-defeating nature, the limits of science vs. the limits of cognition, refuting reality as mind-independent, and idealism and divining our role in nature. He considers the universe and intelligence as the product of intelligent design, science and religion as non-conflicting and purposeful pursuits, and determinism and other fallacies surrounding the concept of free will. Rescher views morality in its hierarchal structure, its applicability to human coexistence, and its ontological commitment to the enhancement of value for ourselves and our world. He examines questions of authority and the problem of judging past actions or knowledge by present standards. Overall, he argues for philosophy as an unavoidable tool for rational, cogent responses to large questions.

Philosophical Inquiries

Philosophical Inquiries PDF Author: Nicholas Rescher
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Pre
ISBN: 0822973782
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 235

Get Book Here

Book Description
In Philosophical Inquiries, Nicholas Rescher offers his perspectives on many of the foundational concerns of philosophy and reminds us that the purpose of philosophy is to "question the questions." Rescher sees the need to inquire as an evolutionary tool for adapting to a hostile environment and shows how philosophy has thus developed in an evolutionary fashion, building upon acquired knowledge and upon itself. In a historical thread that informs and enriches his overview, Rescher recalls the contributions of Aristotle, Plato, Plotinus, Kant, Hegel, Leibniz, Laplace, Bertrand Russell, and others.Among his many topics, Rescher discusses knowledge and the unattainablity of absolutes, skepticism and its self-defeating nature, the limits of science vs. the limits of cognition, refuting reality as mind-independent, and idealism and divining our role in nature. He considers the universe and intelligence as the product of intelligent design, science and religion as non-conflicting and purposeful pursuits, and determinism and other fallacies surrounding the concept of free will. Rescher views morality in its hierarchal structure, its applicability to human coexistence, and its ontological commitment to the enhancement of value for ourselves and our world. He examines questions of authority and the problem of judging past actions or knowledge by present standards. Overall, he argues for philosophy as an unavoidable tool for rational, cogent responses to large questions.

Peirce and Contemporary Thought

Peirce and Contemporary Thought PDF Author: Kenneth Laine Ketner
Publisher: Fordham Univ Press
ISBN: 9780823215539
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 476

Get Book Here

Book Description
A distinguished panel of essayists address many key issues in Peirce's thought.

Philosophical Inquiries Into the Nature of Human Freedom

Philosophical Inquiries Into the Nature of Human Freedom PDF Author: Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling
Publisher: Open Court Publishing Company
ISBN: 9780875480244
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 128

Get Book Here

Book Description


Philosophical Inquiries Into Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Mothering

Philosophical Inquiries Into Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Mothering PDF Author: Sheila Lintott
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780415891875
Category : Childbirth
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description
Using feminist, existential, ethical, aesthetic, phenomenological, social and political theories, the contributors to this book consider topics including pregnancy and embodiment, breast-feeding, representations - or the lack thereof - of pregnant and birthing women, adoption, and post-partum motherhood.

Mysticism Examined

Mysticism Examined PDF Author: Richard H. Jones
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 1438408021
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 316

Get Book Here

Book Description
Mysticism presents a challenge to anyone who is interested in fundamental questions about the nature of reality, knowledge, and how we should live. In this book the author examines questions posed by mysticism. He clarifies the nature of the claims advanced by Western and Asian mystics, and explores the beliefs and values of classical mystical ways of life for their interconnections and reasonableness. Jones discusses whether all mystical experiences and all mystical claims of knowledge are similar, and examines the relation of concepts and experiences in mystics' claims. Also presented are standards for evaluating competing mystical claims, and mystics' problems with language. Whether mystics' arguments are rational is investigated along with the relation of moral and non-moral values and the role of beliefs and values in enlightened mystics' ways of life. Mysticism's relation to the enterprises of science, theology, psychology and ethics is also examined.

On Photography

On Photography PDF Author: Diarmuid Costello
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351970836
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 210

Get Book Here

Book Description
What is photography? Is it a source of knowledge or an art? Many have said the former because it records the world automatically, others the latter because it expresses human subjectivity. Can photography be both or must we choose? In On Photography: A Philosophical Inquiry, Diarmuid Costello examines these fascinating questions and more, drawing on images by Alfred Stieglitz, Berenice Abbott, Paul Strand, Lee Friedlander, James Welling, and Wolfgang Tillmans, among others, and the writings of Elizabeth Eastlake, Peter Henry Emerson, Edward Weston, Siegfried Kracauer, André Bazin, and Stanley Cavell. This sets the scene for the contemporary stand-off between "sceptical" and "non-sceptical" Orthodoxy in the work of Roger Scruton and Kendall Walton, and a New Theory of Photography taking its cue from László Moholy-Nagy and Patrick Maynard. Written in a clear and engaging style, On Photography is essential reading for anyone interested in the philosophy of photography, aesthetics, art, and visual studies.

Donald Davidson’s Triangulation Argument

Donald Davidson’s Triangulation Argument PDF Author: Robert H. Myers
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134641222
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 225

Get Book Here

Book Description
According to many commentators, Davidson’s earlier work on philosophy of action and truth-theoretic semantics is the basis for his reputation, and his later forays into broader metaphysical and epistemological issues, and eventually into what became known as the triangulation argument, are much less successful. This book by two of his former students aims to change that perception. In Part One, Verheggen begins by providing an explanation and defense of the triangulation argument, then explores its implications for questions concerning semantic normativity and reductionism, the social character of language and thought, and skepticism about the external world. In Part Two, Myers considers what the argument can tell us about reasons for action, and whether it can overcome skeptical worries based on claims about the nature of motivation, the sources of normativity and the demands of morality. The book reveals Davidson’s later writings to be full of innovative and important ideas that deserve much more attention than they are currently receiving.

Philosophical Inquiry

Philosophical Inquiry PDF Author: Philip Cam
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1475846304
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 175

Get Book Here

Book Description
Philosophical Inquiry shows how to use the tools of philosophy for educational purposes. It is a practical guide to the philosophical arts of questioning, conceptual exploration and reasoning, with wide application across the school curriculum. It provides educators with an effective means of teaching students to think critically and creatively, to use their knowledge to solve problems, to deal with issues, to explore possibilities and work with ideas. These are the skills and abilities that young people need in order to thrive socially and economically in the world today. Drawing on educational and psychological theory, Philosophical Inquiry emphasizes the use of collaborative learning, through class discussion, working with a partner, and small group work. This approach teaches students to think in socially responsible ways. It means that students become not only thinking individuals but also good team-players, with benefits that extend beyond the classroom and the school to community life and the world of work.

Philosophy in the Age of Science?

Philosophy in the Age of Science? PDF Author: Julia Hermann
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538142848
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 284

Get Book Here

Book Description
Current academic philosophy is being challenged from several angles. Subdisciplinary specialisations often make it challenging to articulate philosophy’s relevance for the societal questions of our day.Additionally, the success of the ‘scientific method’ puts pressure on philosophers to articulate their methods and specify how these can be successful. How does philosophical progress come about? What can philosophy contribute to our understanding of today’s world? Moreover, can it also contribute to resolving urgent societal challenges, such as anthropogenic climate change? This edited volume evaluates the place of philosophy in the age of science. It addresses three related sub-themes: philosophical progress, philosophical method and philosophy’s societal relevance. Fourteen authors engage with these sub-themes, focusing on the topics of their philosophical expertise, such as the philosophy of religion, evolutionary ethics and the nature of free will. In doing so, they explore their methods of enquiry, and look at how progress in their research comes about.

Hand

Hand PDF Author: Raymond Tallis
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
ISBN: 1474473016
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 375

Get Book Here

Book Description
A philosophical examination and celebration of the human hand.