What are philosophers trying to achieve? How can they succeed? Does
philosophy make progress? Is it in competition with science, or
doing something completely different, or neither? Timothy
Williamson tackles some of the key questions surrounding philosophy
in new and provocative ways, showing how philosophy begins in
common sense curiosity, and develops through our capacity to
dispute rationally with each other. Discussing philosophy's ability
to clarify our thoughts, he explains why such clarification depends
on the development of philosophical theories, and how those
theories can be tested by imaginative thought experiments, and
compared against each other by standards similar to those used in
the natural and social sciences. He also shows how logical rigour
can be understood as a way of enhancing the explanatory power of
philosophical theories. Drawing on the history of philosophy to
provide a track record of philosophical thinking's successes and
failures, Williams overturns widely held dogmas about the
distinctive nature of philosophy in comparison to the sciences,
demystifies its methods, and considers the future of the
discipline. From thought experiments, to deduction, to theories,
this Very Short Introduction will cause you to totally rethink what
philosophy is. 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. Previously
published in hardback as Doing Philosophy
General
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