Category: Metaphilosophy
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Truthmaker Maximalism and The Misery of Philosophy
According to one of my aphorisms, Philosophy is magnificent in aspiration but miserable in execution. Part of what makes philosophy a miserable subject is that none of its conclusions is conclusive. Herewith, a little example. But first some background. A truthmaker maximalist is one who maintains that every truth has a truthmaker. So it doesn't…
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Monasticism and the Monks of Mount Athos
In April of 2011, 60 Minutes had a segment on the monks of Mt. Athos. It was surprisingly sympathetic for such a left-leaning program. What one expects and usually gets from liberals and leftists and the lamestream media is religion-bashing — unless of course the religion is Islam, the religion of peace – but the segment in…
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Could it be Morally Wrong to Philosophize?
A Czech reader sent me some materials in which he raises the title question. One of them is a YouTube video. I will unpack the question in my own way and then pronounce my verdict. Suppose what ought to be evident, namely, that we are morally responsible for our actions. Among actions are those that…
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Results, not Genesis
A philosophical paper ought to record the results, not the genesis, of the author's thought about a topic. In this hyperkinetic age it is a good writerly maxim to state one's thesis succinctly at the outset and sketch one's overall argument before plunging into the dialectic.
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Chess and Philosophy
In chess, the object of the game is clear, the rules are fixed and indisputable, and there is always a definite outcome (win, lose, or draw) about which no controversy can arise. In philosophy, the object and the rules are themselves part of what is in play, and there is never an incontrovertible result. So I…
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Philosophy and Chess
Both can be utterly absorbing, and yet both can appear in a ridiculous light. Thus both can appear to be insignificant pursuits far removed from 'reality.' The difference is that only philosophy can tackle the inevitable question, What is reality? The denigrator of philosophy himself philosophizes, unlike the denigrator of chess who remains outside chess.…
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Obscure, Neglected, and Underrated Philosophers
A reader demands a list. Here we go. It is very far from complete. To list is not to endorse. Contemporary academic philosophy is hyperprofessionalized and overspecialized. An exposure to some of the following may have a broadening effect. Asterisks indicate a MavPhil category on the right sidebar. Maurice Blondel* Constantin Brunner (English) Constantin Brunner…
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Magnificent but Miserable
As magnificent a subject as philosophy is, grappling as it does with the ultimate concerns of human existence, and thus surpassing in nobility all other human pursuits, it is also miserable in that nothing goes uncontested, and nothing ever gets established to the satisfaction of all competent practitioners. The magnificence and misery of philosophy reflect…
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Susan Haack on the Fragmentation of Philosophy and the Road to Reintegration
An easy-to-read power point presentation with plenty of pictures. Haack rightly laments hyperprofessionalization and overspecialization in philosophy as well as the detachment of philosophy from its own history. Compare my Kripke's Misrepresentation of Meinong. Fragmentation leads to hermeticism and ahistoricism. True enough. But then she claims that the cause of fragmentation is academic opportunism. This…
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God and Mind: Indiscernibility Arguments
Are the Christian and Muslim Gods the same? Why not settle this in short order with a nice, crisp, Indiscernibility argument? To wit, a. If x = y, then x, y share all intrinsic properties. (A version of the Indiscernibility of Identicals)b. The God of the Christians and that of the Muslims do not share…
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Pedantry and Precision
The philosopher's precision is pedantry to the plebeians. (Am I obsessively alliterative to the detriment of good style?) Related articles Robert Paul Wolff on Netanyahu Why has the Left 'Gone Ballistic' over Hobby Lobby?
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A Note on Analytic Style
The precise, explicitly argued, analytic style of exposition with numbered premises and conclusions promotes the meticulous scrutiny of the ideas under discussion. That is why I sometimes write this way. I know it offends some. There are creatures of darkness and murk who seem allergic to any intellectual hygiene. These types are often found on the…
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Can Philosophy be Justified in a Time of Crisis?
An abstract with the above title has been making the rounds. No doubt you have seen it, so there is no need to link to it, nor does it deserve a link. It is almost certainly a joke, and if not, then the author is a fool. But since I have just made a harsh…
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Why Study Philosophy?
During my days as a philosophy professor, one of the topics often discussed in department meetings was how to 'market' the philosophy major and minor. The following sort of hackneyed point was often trotted out. Disciplines such as philosophy and religion help train the mind to think about significant issues or view problems in a…
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Philosophize We Must
Philosophize we must and philosophize we will. The only question is whether well or ill.