Combining Philosophers

Ideas for H.Putnam/P.Oppenheim, Slavoj Zizek and William W. Tait

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4 ideas

1. Philosophy / C. History of Philosophy / 4. Later European Philosophy / c. Eighteenth century philosophy
9777 Kant was the first philosopher [Zizek]
     Full Idea: From today's perspective it is in a way clear that Kant was the first philosopher. Pre-Kantian philosophy cannot think in his transcendental aspect.
     From: Slavoj Zizek (Conversations, with Glyn Daly [2004], §1)
     A reaction: It is probably equally plausible to say that Kant was the last philosopher. More thought-provoking than true.
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 3. Philosophy Defined
9778 There is no dialogue in philosophy [Zizek]
     Full Idea: I think I truly became a philosopher when I realised that there is no dialogue in philosophy. Plato's dialogues are clearly fakes, with one guy talking most of the time. ...Philosophy as an interdisciplinary project is the ultimate nightmare.
     From: Slavoj Zizek (Conversations, with Glyn Daly [2004], §1)
     A reaction: This goes against all my prejudices in favour of teamwork and mutual criticism (e.g. Idea 1576), but I was a bit shaken by it, and have begun to wonder whether I must just face up to the solitary nature of the enterprise.
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / b. Philosophy as transcendent
9779 Philosophy is transcendental questioning (not supporting science or constructing ontology) [Zizek]
     Full Idea: Philosophy can no longer play its traditional roles, giving foundations to science, or constructing general ontology. It should simply fulfil its task of transcendental questioning.
     From: Slavoj Zizek (Conversations, with Glyn Daly [2004], §2)
     A reaction: I remain unsure what is being recommended, unless it is for philosophy to start asking questions just at the point where everyone else gives up.
1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 7. Limitations of Analysis
9978 Analytic philosophy focuses too much on forms of expression, instead of what is actually said [Tait]
     Full Idea: The tendency to attack forms of expression rather than attempting to appreciate what is actually being said is one of the more unfortunate habits that analytic philosophy inherited from Frege.
     From: William W. Tait (Frege versus Cantor and Dedekind [1996], IV)
     A reaction: The key to this, I say, is to acknowledge the existence of propositions (in brains). For example, this belief will make teachers more sympathetic to pupils who are struggling to express an idea, and verbal nit-picking becomes totally irrelevant.