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The self-image of the 17th century is that of an era in which
reason finally overcame superstition and ignorance. But the
institution of reason was seen to require the removal of various
obstacles to reason, and among these the passions figures
predominantly. This led to a study of cognitive states and what
resulted was a transformation of the understanding of the reason.
This book seeks to reconstruct the thinking of 17th-century
philosophers, theologians, artists and physicians, on the nature of
passions. The author explains that although there were inevitable
overlaps, the interests of each group were distinctive.
The most comprehensive collection of essays on Descartes'
scientific writings ever published, this volume offers a detailed
reassessment of Descartes' scientific work and its bearing on his
philosophy. The 35 essays, written by some of the world's leading
scholars, cover topics as diverse as optics, cosmology and
medicine, and will be of vital interest to all historians of
philosophy or science.
The first book to address the historical failures of philosophy-and
what we can learn from them Philosophers are generally unaware of
the failures of philosophy, recognizing only the failures of
particular theories, which are then remedied with other theories.
But, taking the long view, philosophy has actually collapsed
several times, been abandoned, sometimes for centuries, and been
replaced by something quite different. When it has been revived it
has been with new aims that are often accompanied by implausible
attempts to establish continuity with a perennial philosophical
tradition. What do these failures tell us? The Failures of
Philosophy presents a historical investigation of philosophy in the
West, from the perspective of its most significant failures:
attempts to provide an account of the good life, to establish
philosophy as a discipline that can stand in judgment over other
forms of thought, to set up philosophy as a theory of everything,
and to construe it as a discipline that rationalizes the empirical
and mathematical sciences. Stephen Gaukroger argues that these
failures reveal more about philosophical inquiry and its ultimate
point than its successes ever could. These failures illustrate how
and why philosophical inquiry has been conceived and reconceived,
why philosophy has been thought to bring distinctive skills to
certain questions, and much more. An important and original account
of philosophy's serial breakdowns, The Failures of Philosophy
ultimately shows how these shortcomings paradoxically reveal what
matters most about the field.
First published in 1997, this volume expands the analytical
philosophical tradition in the face of parochial Anglo-American
philosophical interests. The essays making up the section on
'Antiquity' share one concern: to show that there are largely
unrecognised but radical differences between the way in which
certain fundamental questions - concerning the nature of number,
sense perception, and scepticism - were thought of in antiquity and
the way in which they were thought of from the 17th century
onwards. Part 2, on early modern thought, explores the theoretical
characterisation of the role of experiment in early modern physical
theory through Galileo's embracing of experiments, along with
Descartes' automata and issues in a relatively neglected but
especially intractable part of Descartes' philosophy: how he
conceives of what a successful inference consists in and what it is
that makes it successful. The final section deals with the
philosophical foundations of physical theory, the distinction
between the human and the natural sciences, the
philosophical-cum-scientific foundations of Marx's idea of
socialism, and Nietzche's criticisms of the very notion of science,
concluding that Nietzsche's probing questions cannot be dismissed,
as he has opened up some genuinely challenging issues which we
ignore at our peril.
First published in 1997, this volume expands the analytical
philosophical tradition in the face of parochial Anglo-American
philosophical interests. The essays making up the section on
'Antiquity' share one concern: to show that there are largely
unrecognised but radical differences between the way in which
certain fundamental questions - concerning the nature of number,
sense perception, and scepticism - were thought of in antiquity and
the way in which they were thought of from the 17th century
onwards. Part 2, on early modern thought, explores the theoretical
characterisation of the role of experiment in early modern physical
theory through Galileo's embracing of experiments, along with
Descartes' automata and issues in a relatively neglected but
especially intractable part of Descartes' philosophy: how he
conceives of what a successful inference consists in and what it is
that makes it successful. The final section deals with the
philosophical foundations of physical theory, the distinction
between the human and the natural sciences, the
philosophical-cum-scientific foundations of Marx's idea of
socialism, and Nietzche's criticisms of the very notion of science,
concluding that Nietzsche's probing questions cannot be dismissed,
as he has opened up some genuinely challenging issues which we
ignore at our peril.
Contents: Introduction Mechanics and Cosmology 1. Descartes and the natural philosophy of the Coimbra commentaries Dennis Des Chene 2. Descartes' debt to Beeckman: inspiration, cooperation, conflict Klaas Van Berkel 3. The foundational role of hydrostatics and statics in Descartes' natural philosophy Stephen Gaukroger 4. Force, determination and impact Peter MaLaughlin 5. A different Descartes: Descartes' programme for a mathematical physics in his correspondence Daniel Garber 6. Casual powers and occasionalism from Descartes to Malebranche Desmond Clarje 7. Modelling nature: Descartes versus Reigus Theo Verbeek 8. The influence of Cartesian cosmology in England Peter Harrison Method, Optics, and the Role of Experiment 9. NeoAristotle and method: between Zabarella and Descartes Timothy Reiss 10. Figuring things out: figurate problem-solving in the early Descartes Dennis Sepper 11. The theory of the rainbow Jean-Robert Armogathe 12. Descartes' opticien: the construction of the law of refraction and the manufacture of its physical rationales, 1618-1629 John A. Schuster 13. A 'science for honnêteshommes': La Recherche de la Vérité and the deconstruction of experimental knowledge Alberto Guillermo Ranea 14. Descartes, experiments, and a first generation Cartesian, Jacques Rohault Trevor McLaughlin 15. Cartesian physiology Annie Bitbol-Hesperies 16. The resources of a mechanist physiology and the problem of goal-directed processes Stephen Gaukroger 17. Bêtes machines Katherine Morris 18. Descartes' cardiology and its reception in English physiology Peter Anstey Imagination and Representation 19. Descartes' theory of imagination and perspectival art Betsy Newell Decyk 20. From sparks of truth to the glow of possibility Peter Schouls 21. Descartes' theory of visual spatial perception Celia Wolf-Devine 22. Symposium on Descartes on perceptual cognition. Introduction John Sutton Descartes and Formal Signs David Behan Descartes' startling doctrine of the reverse sign relation Peter Slezak Bibliography
Each of the essays in this collection, written by the most
respected academics in their fields, provides both an insightful
and valuable understanding on the different views of the passions
in the Seventeenth Century.
This edited volume features 20 essays written by leading scholars
that provide a detailed examination of L'Homme by Rene Descartes.
It explores the way in which this work developed themes not just on
questions such as the circulation of the blood, but also on central
questions of perception and our knowledge of the world. Coverage
first offers a critical discussion on the different versions of
L'Homme, including the Latin, French, and English translations and
the 1664 editions. Next, the authors examine the early reception of
the work, from the connection of L'Homme to early-modern Dutch
Cartesianism to Nicolas Steno's criticism of the work and how
Descartes' clock analogy is used to defend two different
conceptions of the articulation between anatomical observations and
functional hypotheses. The book then goes on to explore L'Homme and
early-modern anthropology as well as the how the work has been
understood and incorporated into the works of scientists,
physicians, and philosophers over the last 150 years. Overall,
readers will discover how the trend over the last few decades to
understand human cognition in neuro-physiological terms can be seen
to be not something unprecedented, but rather a revival of a way of
dealing with these fundamental questions that was pioneered by
Descartes.
This edited volume features 20 essays written by leading scholars
that provide a detailed examination of L'Homme by Rene Descartes.
It explores the way in which this work developed themes not just on
questions such as the circulation of the blood, but also on central
questions of perception and our knowledge of the world. Coverage
first offers a critical discussion on the different versions of
L'Homme, including the Latin, French, and English translations and
the 1664 editions. Next, the authors examine the early reception of
the work, from the connection of L'Homme to early-modern Dutch
Cartesianism to Nicolas Steno's criticism of the work and how
Descartes' clock analogy is used to defend two different
conceptions of the articulation between anatomical observations and
functional hypotheses. The book then goes on to explore L'Homme and
early-modern anthropology as well as the how the work has been
understood and incorporated into the works of scientists,
physicians, and philosophers over the last 150 years. Overall,
readers will discover how the trend over the last few decades to
understand human cognition in neuro-physiological terms can be seen
to be not something unprecedented, but rather a revival of a way of
dealing with these fundamental questions that was pioneered by
Descartes.
The institutionalization of History and Philosophy of Science as a
distinct field of scholarly endeavour began comparatively earl-
though not always under that name - in the Australasian region. An
initial lecturing appointment was made at the University of
Melbourne immediately after the Second World War, in 1946, and
other appoint ments followed as the subject underwent an expansion
during the 1950s and 1960s similar to that which took place in
other parts of the world. Today there are major Departments at the
University of Melbourne, the University of New South Wales and the
University of W ollongong, and smaller groups active in many other
parts of Australia and in New Zealand. 'Australasian Studies in
History and Philosophy of Science' aims to provide a distinctive
pUblication outlet for Australian and New Zealand scholars working
in the general area of history, philosophy and social studies of
science. Each volume comprises a group of essays on a connected
theme, edited by an Australian or a New Zealander with special
expertise in that particular area. Papers address general issues,
however, rather than local ones; parochial topics are avoided.
Further more, though in each volume a majority of the contributors
is from Australia or New Zealand, contributions from elsewhere are
by no means ruled out. Quite the reverse, in fact - they are
actively encouraged wherever appropriate to the balance of the
volume in question."
The institutionalization of History and Philosophy of Science as a
distinct field of scholarly endeavour began comparatively earl-
though not always under that name - in the Australasian region. An
initial lecturing appointment was made at the University of
Melbourne immediately after the Second World War, in 1946, and
other appoint ments followed as the subject underwent an expansion
during the 1950s and 1960s similar to that which took place in
other parts of the world. Today there are major Departments at the
University of Melbourne, the University of New South Wales and the
University of W ollongong, and smaller groups active in many other
parts of Australia and in New Zealand. 'Australasian Studies in
History and Philosophy of Science' aims to provide a distinctive
pUblication outlet for Australian and New Zealand scholars working
in the general area of history, philosophy and social studies of
science. Each volume comprises a group of essays on a connected
theme, edited by an Australian or a New Zealander with special
expertise in that particular area. Papers address general issues,
however, rather than local ones; parochial topics are avoided.
Further more, though in each volume a majority of the contributors
is from Australia or New Zealand, contributions from elsewhere are
by no means ruled out. Quite the reverse, in fact - they are
actively encouraged wherever appropriate to the balance of the
volume in question."
The first book to address the historical failures of philosophy-and
what we can learn from them Philosophers are generally unaware of
the failures of philosophy, recognizing only the failures of
particular theories, which are then remedied with other theories.
But, taking the long view, philosophy has actually collapsed
several times, been abandoned, sometimes for centuries, and been
replaced by something quite different. When it has been revived it
has been with new aims that are often accompanied by implausible
attempts to establish continuity with a perennial philosophical
tradition. What do these failures tell us? The Failures of
Philosophy presents a historical investigation of philosophy in the
West, from the perspective of its most significant failures:
attempts to provide an account of the good life, to establish
philosophy as a discipline that can stand in judgment over other
forms of thought, to set up philosophy as a theory of everything,
and to construe it as a discipline that rationalizes the empirical
and mathematical sciences. Stephen Gaukroger argues that these
failures reveal more about philosophical inquiry and its ultimate
point than its successes ever could. These failures illustrate how
and why philosophical inquiry has been conceived and reconceived,
why philosophy has been thought to bring distinctive skills to
certain questions, and much more. An important and original account
of philosophy's serial breakdowns, The Failures of Philosophy
ultimately shows how these shortcomings paradoxically reveal what
matters most about the field.
French culture is unique in that philosophy has played a
significant role from the early-modern period onwards, intimately
associated with political, religious, and literary debates, as well
as with epistemological and scientific ones. While Latin was the
language of learning there was a universal philosophical
literature, but with the rise of vernacular literatures things
changed and a distinctive national form of philosophy arose in
France. This Very Short Introduction covers French philosophy from
its origins in the sixteenth century up to the present, analysing
it within its social, political, and cultural context. Beginning
with psychology and epistemology, Stephen Gaukroger and Knox Peden
then move onto the emergence of radical philosophy in the
eighteenth century, before considering post-revolutionary
philosophy in the nineteenth century, philosophy in the world wars,
the radical thought of the 1960s, and finally French philosophy
today. Throughout, they explore the dilemma sustained by the
markedly national conception of French philosophy, and its history
of speaking out on matters of universal concern. 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.
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Syllogism is a form of logical argument allowing one to deduce a
consistent conclusion based on a pair of premises having a common
term. Although Aristotle was the first to conceive and develop this
way of reasoning, he left open a lot of conceptual space for
further modifications, improvements and systematizations with
regards to his original syllogistic theory. From its creation until
modern times, syllogism has remained a powerful and compelling
device of deduction and argument, used by a variety of figures and
assuming a variety of forms throughout history. The Aftermath of
Syllogism investigates the key developments in the history of this
peculiar pattern of inference, from Avicenna to Hegel. Taking as
its focus the longue duree of development between the Middle Ages
and the nineteenth century, this book looks at the huge reworking
scientific syllogism underwent over the centuries, as some of the
finest philosophical minds brought it to an unprecedented height of
logical sharpness and sophistication. Bringing together a group of
major international experts in the Aristotelian tradition, The
Aftermath of Syllogism provides a detailed, up to date and critical
evaluation of the history of syllogistic deduction.
- Is objectivity possible? - Can there be objectivity in matters of
morals, or tastes? - What would a truly objective account of the
world be like? - Is everything subjective, or relative? - Are moral
judgments objective or culturally relative? Objectivity is both an
essential and elusive philosophical concept. An account is
generally considered to be objective if it attempts to capture the
nature of the object studied without judgement of a conscious
entity or subject. Objectivity stands in contrast to subjectivity:
an objective account is impartial, one which could ideally be
accepted by any subject, because it does not draw on any
assumptions, prejudices, or values of particular subjects. Stephen
Gaukroger shows that it is far from clear that we can resolve moral
or aesthetic disputes in this way and it has often been argued that
such an approach is not always appropriate for disciplines that
deal with human, rather than natural, phenomena. Moreover, even in
those cases where we seek to be objective, it may be difficult to
judge what a truly objective account would look like, and whether
it is achievable. This Very Short Introduction demonstrates that
there are a number of common misunderstandings about what
objectivity is, and explores the theoretical and practical problems
of objectivity by assessing the basic questions raised by it. As
well as considering the core philosophical issues, Gaukroger also
deals with the way in which particular understandings of
objectivity impinge on social research, science, and art. 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.
Syllogism is a form of logical argument allowing one to deduce a
consistent conclusion based on a pair of premises having a common
term. Although Aristotle was the first to conceive and develop this
way of reasoning, he left open a lot of conceptual space for
further modifications, improvements and systematizations with
regards to his original syllogistic theory. From its creation until
modern times, syllogism has remained a powerful and compelling
device of deduction and argument, used by a variety of figures and
assuming a variety of forms throughout history. The Aftermath of
Syllogism investigates the key developments in the history of this
peculiar pattern of inference, from Avicenna to Hegel. Taking as
its focus the longue duree of development between the Middle Ages
and the nineteenth century, this book looks at the huge reworking
scientific syllogism underwent over the centuries, as some of the
finest philosophical minds brought it to an unprecedented height of
logical sharpness and sophistication. Bringing together a group of
major international experts in the Aristotelian tradition, The
Aftermath of Syllogism provides a detailed, up to date and critical
evaluation of the history of syllogistic deduction.
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