Philosophical InterpretationsRobert Fogelin here collects fifteen of his essays, organized around the theme of interpreting philosophical texts. The essays place particular emphasis on understanding the argumentative or dialectical role that passages play in the specific context in which they occur. The somewhat surprising result of taking this principle seriously is that certain traditional, well-worked texts are given a radical re-interpretation. Throughout the essays reprinted here, Fogelin argues that, when carefully read, the philosophical position under consideration has more merit than commonly believed. Included are essays dealing with texts from the works of Plato, Aquinas, Hume, Berkeley, Kant, Price, Hamilton, and Wittgenstein. |
Contents
3 | |
Three Platonic Analogies | 12 |
A Reading of Aquinass Five Ways | 26 |
Hume and Berkeley on the Proofs of Infinite Divisibility | 45 |
Hume and the Missing Shade of Blue | 70 |
Humes Worries about Personal Identity | 81 |
What Hume Actually Said about Miracles | 95 |
Kant and Hume on Simultaneity of Causes and Effects | 102 |
a Hamiltons Quantification of the Predicate | 149 |
b Hamiltons Theory of Quantifying the Predicate a Correction | 166 |
Wittgenstein on Identity | 169 |
Negative Elementary Propositions | 186 |
Wittgenstein and Intuitionism | 196 |
Wittgenstein and Classical Scepticism | 214 |
Thinking and Doing | 232 |
251 | |
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Common terms and phrases
act descriptions analogy answer Aquinas Aquinas's argue argument assertion belief Berkeley Boyle's Law Cave claim Cleanthes concerning conclusion contradictions course David Hume distinct Divided Line doubt effect efficient causes elementary proposition Enquiry Epicurus essay example existence expression extension fact finite G. E. M. Anscombe Hamilton's Hamiltonian human Hume Hume's skepticism Ibid images indirect proof infinite divisibility intended interpretation kind least logical logical constants mathematical mathematical proofs mind miracle natural nonconstructive proofs notion obligation particular passage perceptions personal identity Philo philosophical Plato Port-Royal Logic position possible predicate prescriptive Price's Prime Minister principle promise proofs of infinite Pyrrhonian Pyrrhonian skepticism question Ramsey Ramsey's reading reason reject remarks rule seems Semblances sense simple ideas simply simultaneous speak suggestion suppose syllogism tautologies teleology theoretical skepticism theory things tion Tractarian Tractatus traditional Treatise truth truth-function understanding Visible Objects Wittgenstein