The Making of a Philosopher: My Journey Through Twentieth-Century PhilosophyPart memoir, part study, The Making of a Philosopher is the self–portrait of a deeply intelligent mind as it develops over a life on both sides of the Atlantic. The Making of a Philosopher follows Colin McGinn from his early years in England reading Descartes and Anselm, to his years in the states, first in Los Angeles, then New York. McGinn presents a contemporary academic take on the great philosophical figures of the twentieth century, including Bertrand Russell, Jean–Paul Sartre, and Noam Chomsky, alongside stories of the teachers who informed his ideas and often became friends and mentors, especially the colorful A.J. Ayer at Oxford. McGinn's prose is always elegant and probing; students of contemporary philosophy and the general reader alike will absorb every page. |
From inside the book
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... seemed to me to be a logic to Descartes's doubts , whatever their bearing on religion might be ( in fact , Descartes's system relies centrally on God , but Mr. Marsh never mentioned this ) . As a result of these philosophical intrusions ...
... seemed like a bolt from the blue. God's existence turns out to be as solid as the fact that four is the next whole number after three. But, as I studied the argument, rereading it, trying to probe its workings (my feet getting colder ...
... seemed compelling, but were they really as compelling as they seemed? I wanted to understand the arguments better, so that I could decide what to believe. What I am emphasizing now is the impact these arguments had on my receptive ...
... seemed enough. I was, after all, to be the first member of the McGinn family ever to apply to university, and it would have seemed hopelessly impractical to apply to study philosophy, of all things. I was pushing the envelope to apply ...
Contents
Chapter Three Logic and Language | |
Chapter Four Mind and Reality | |
Chapter Five Belief Desire and Wittgenstein | |
Chapter Six Consciousness and Cognition | |
Chapter Seven Metaphilosophy and Fiction | |
Chapter Eight Evil Beauty and Logic | |
Acknowledgments | |
Other editions - View all
The Making of a Philosopher: My Journey Through Twentieth-Century Philosophy Colin McGinn Limited preview - 2003 |
The Making of a Philosopher: My Journey Through Twentieth-century Philosophy Colin McGinn No preview available - 2003 |
The Making of a Philosopher: My Journey Through Twentieth-Century Philosophy Colin McGinn No preview available - 2002 |