W. V. Quine is one of the most eminent philosophers alive today.
Now in his mid-eighties he has produced a sharp, sprightly book
that encapsulates the whole of his philosophical enterprise,
including his thinking on all the key components of his
epistemological stance--especially the value of logic and
mathematics. New readers of Quine may have to go slowly, fathoming
for themselves the richness that past readers already know lies
between these elegant lines. For the faithful there is much to
ponder.
In this short book, based on lectures delivered in Spain in
1990, Quine begins by locating his work historically. He provides a
lightning tour of the history of philosophy (particularly the
history of epistemology), beginning with Plato and culminating in
an appreciative sketch of Carnap's philosophical ambitions and
achievements. This leads, in the second chapter, to an introduction
to Quine's attempt to naturalize epistemology, which emphasizes his
continuities with Carnap rather than the differences between them.
The next chapters develop the naturalistic story of the development
of science to take account of how our conceptual apparatus is
enhanced so that we can view the world as containing
re-identifiable objects. Having explained the role of observation
sentences in providing a checkpoint for assessing scientific
theories, and having despaired of constructing an empirical
criterion to determine which sentences are meaningful, Quine in the
remaining chapters takes up a variety of important issues about
knowledge. He concludes with an extended treatment of his views
about reference and meaning and his attitudes toward psychological
and modal notions.
The presentation isdistinctive, and the many small refinements
of detail and formulation will fascinate all who know Quine's
philosophy.
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
