A philosopher explores the many dimensions of a beguilingly simple
question. Why did triceratops have horns? Why did World War I
occur? Why does Romeo love Juliet? And, most importantly, why ask
why? Through an analysis of these questions and others, philosopher
Philippe Huneman describes the different meanings of "why," and how
those meanings can, and should (or should not), be conflated. As
Huneman outlines, there are three basic meanings of why: the cause
of an event, the reason of a belief, and the reason why I do what I
do (the purpose). Each of these meanings, in turn, impacts how we
approach knowledge in a wide array of disciplines: science,
history, psychology, and metaphysics. Exhibiting a rare combination
of conversational ease and intellectual rigor, Huneman teases out
the hidden dimensions of questions as seemingly simple as "Why did
Mickey Mouse open the refrigerator?," or as seemingly unanswerable
as "Why am I me?" In doing so, he provides an extraordinary tour of
canonical and contemporary philosophical thought, from Plato and
Aristotle, through Descartes and Spinoza, to Elizabeth Anscombe and
Ruth Millikan, and beyond. Of course, no proper reckoning with the
question "why?" can afford not to acknowledge its limits, which are
the limits, and the ends, of reason itself. Huneman thus concludes
with a provocative elaboration of what Kant called the "natural
need for metaphysics," the unallayed instinct we have to ask the
question even when we know there can be no unequivocal answer.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
