All Talked Out
Naturalism and the Future of Philosophy
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Oxford University Press Inc
Published:8th Feb '18
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
In All Talked Out J.D. Trout exemplifies the power of science in the hands of a philosopher, and the result is a timely and urgent argument about the future of philosophy. Based on his 2013 Phi Beta Kappa Romanell Lectures, Trout here presents a novel and positive view of intellectual advancements with respect to traditional topics in philosophy, and explains why these achievements occurred despite the archaic and often retrograde influence of philosophical doctrine and method. Together, these lines of inquiry lead to a conclusion that while foundational reflection remains as necessary as ever philosophy, as it is conceived in the halls of academia, no longer adds anything distinctively useful. At its best, philosophy is a place to grow new ideas. But many other disciplines can provide such incubation. At the same time, however, Trout argues that we don't have to kill philosophy; we just have to figure out what is worth preserving from it. Following a spirited introduction, the first lecture takes stock of the growing field of evidence-based approaches to reasoning, and in light of these scientific developments, criticizes important failures in epistemology as it is currently practiced in the English speaking world. The second lecture examines the psychological impulse to explain, the resulting sense of understanding, and the natural limits of cognitively appreciating the subject we have explained. The final lecture presents the proper reaction to the idea that scientific evidence matters to responsible governance.
... Trout's book is an enlightening and enjoyable read that demonstrates the significance of empirical science to sound philosophical methodology and the power of scientifically informed philosophy to contribute meaningfully to public debate. * Keith Harris, Metascience *
Trout is engaging with issues related to meta-philosophy (especially, with issues related to how we should engage in epistemology and the philosophy of science) at a very high level, and his voice is well worth hearing in these debates. * Stephen Grimm, Fordham University *
Trout is right that for philosophy to survive i.e. maintaining departments in universities philosophers have to pursue productive projects that keep their work relevant both to researchers in other disciplines and to society as a whole... I think that his work continues the tradition of Dewey, who strove to make philosophy relevant in nearly all of his work. * Steve Downes, University of Utah *
ISBN: 9780190686802
Dimensions: 132mm x 180mm x 25mm
Weight: 249g
188 pages