more on this theme     |     more from this thinker


Single Idea 12773

[filed under theme 1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 1. Nature of Analysis ]

Full Idea

Analytical philosophy can rightly pride itself on having produced the greatest critical arsenal the world has ever known.

Gist of Idea

Analytic philosophy has an exceptional arsenal of critical tools

Source

Bas C. van Fraassen (The Empirical Stance [2002], 1.6)

Book Ref

Fraassen,Bas van: 'The Empirical Stance' [Yale 2002], p.18


A Reaction

This is, of course, in the context of a scathing attack on the desire to use analytical methods to do speculative metaphysics. I say that if these are the best tools, then we should push forward with them to see how far we can get.


The 6 ideas from 'The Empirical Stance'

Philosophy is a value- and attitude-driven enterprise [Fraassen]
Is it likely that a successful, coherent, explanatory ontological hypothesis is true? [Fraassen]
We may end up with a huge theory of carefully constructed falsehoods [Fraassen]
Inference to best explanation contains all sorts of hidden values [Fraassen]
We accept many scientific theories without endorsing them as true [Fraassen]
Analytic philosophy has an exceptional arsenal of critical tools [Fraassen]