Overview
Many philosophers these days consider themselves naturalists, but it's doubtful any two of them intend the same position by the term. In this book, Penelope Maddy describes and practises a particularly austere form of naturalism called 'Second Philosophy'. Without a definitive criterion for what counts as 'science' and what doesn't, Second Philosophy can't be specified directly - 'trust only the methods of science!' or some such thing - so Maddy proceeds instead by illustrating the behaviours of an idealized inquirer she calls the 'Second Philosopher'. This Second Philosopher begins from perceptual common sense and progresses from there to systematic observation, active experimentation, theory formation and testing, working all the while to assess, correct and improve her methods as she goes. Second Philosophy is then the result of the Second Philosopher's investigations. Maddy delineates the Second Philosopher's approach by tracing her reactions to various familiar skeptical and transcendental views (Descartes, Kant, Carnap, late Putnam, van Fraassen), comparing her methods to those of other self-described naturalists (especially Quine), and examining a prominent contemporary debate (between disquotationalists and correspondence theorists in the theory of truth) to extract a properly second-philosophical line of thought. She then undertakes to practise Second Philosophy in her reflections on the ground of logical truth, the methodology, ontology and epistemology of mathematics, and the general prospects for metaphysics naturalized.
Full Product Details
Author: Penelope Maddy (University of California, Irvine)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.50cm
, Height: 2.90cm
, Length: 23.40cm
Weight: 0.806kg
ISBN: 9780199566242
ISBN 10: 0199566240
Pages: 462
Publication Date: 23 April 2009
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
`Review from previous edition The book is excellent: the thesis is refreshing, the presentation clear and forthright, the argumentation careful, the research thorough and informed. It contains a wealth of material that should appeal to far more readers than those of us who are already susceptible to second philosophy. It presents the best exploration and defence of naturalism I know of.' Michael Liston, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
This is a very good book. It is reflective, highly informative, insightful, illuminating...It has lots of new ideas and suggestions. It means to open things up, and it does...It is rich in several dimensions. There is much learning in it, and much to be learned from it. It is very agreeable and enjoyable... Barry Stroud, Mind ...contains much food for philosophilcal thought. Michael Potter, TLS
Author Information
Penelope Maddy is UCI Distinguished Professor of Logic & Philosophy of Science and of Mathematics at the University of California at Irvine.
