Abstract

With the republication of The Structure of Appearance, a classic work of contemporary philosophical analysis has once more become available. The book is divided into three parts. The first part deals with certain topics in the theory of systems. The topics investigated are constructional definition, the calculus of individuals, and the calculus of simplicity. The calculus of individuals is of use only in nominalistic systems such as the one developed later in the book. Goodman's proposals on constructional definition and his calculus of simplicity are, on the other hand, applicable to all systems. The second part is devoted to the presentation of two different phenomenalistic systems. The first is the system of Carnap's Aufbau, which attempts to abstract qualities from "full momentary cross-sections of the total stream of experience" called erlebs. It turns out that two difficulties in Carnap's treatment render his project incapable of realization, at least for the time being. Goodman then proceeds to develop his own system, taking qualities as his basic units and undertaking the task of constructing concrete entities out of them. Goodman devotes a chapter to the intuitive presentation of his ideas and develops them systematically in the two chapters which follow. In the third part of the book, Goodman shows how order and measure can be defined within his system. The last chapter is devoted to time and includes a discussion of indicators. Several major and numerous minor changes distinguish the second edition from the first published fifteen years earlier. The chapter on simplicity has been almost entirely rewritten. In the new edition, the calculus of simplicity is presented axiomatically, and systematic investigations of different types of predicates are conducted. A new section has been added to the chapter on the topology of quality, which takes account of some recent developments. Other changes are minor, consisting of a revision of some formulae, typographical corrections and minor textual emendations. This is a work that no serious student of philosophy should ignore.—F. S. M.