Single Idea 8559

[catalogued under 1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 4. Conceptual Analysis]

Full Idea

The goal of philosophical analysis should not be reductive analysis but rather the charting of internal relationships.

Gist of Idea

Analysis aims at internal relationships, not reduction

Source

Sydney Shoemaker (Causality and Properties [1980], §07)

Book Reference

Shoemaker,Sydney: 'Identity, Cause and Mind' [OUP 2003], p.222


A Reaction

See Idea 8558 for an attempt by Shoemaker himself. The idea that there has never been a successful analysis has become a truism among pessimistic analytic philosophers. But there are wonderful relationship maps (Quine, Davidson, Lewis, Lowe).

Related Idea

Idea 8558 One system has properties, powers, events, similarity and substance [Shoemaker]