O objetivo deste ensaio é examinar a proposta de Sandy Goldberg, segundo a qual há divisão de trabalho epistêmico em certos processos de aquisição de conhecimento – ao menos em se tratando de conhecimento testemunhal. Goldberg propõe mostrar a veracidade desta alegação salientando a nossa dependência epistêmica em relação a outros indivíduos, ou mesmo comunidades inteiras. Nós, então, vamos propor o tratamento de um famoso caso tipo-Gettier que, segundo Gilbert Harman, revelaria algumas dimensões sociais do conhecimento. Por fim, nós (...) esperamos tirar algumas lições da explicação oferecida por Goldberg, dentre as quais a mais importante a ser tomada é que, havendo tal divisão de trabalho epistêmico em processos de aquisição de conhecimento, muitas vezes, não são apenas as propriedades epistêmicas do sujeito que determinam a sua posse de conhecimento ou ignorância, de modo que o conhecimento é mais social do que individual em se tratando de uma ampla gama de casos. (shrink)

O objetivo deste ensaio é examinar a recente crítica de Maria Lasonen-Aarnio à solução anulabilista do paradoxo do dogmatismo. Tal paradoxo consiste no argumento de que certos princípios epistêmicos autorizam qualquer sujeito cognoscente a desconsiderar contraevidências para o que ele sabe. Porém, esta atitude dogmática é comumente julgada como injustificada e o sujeito que a toma é comumente julgado como irracional. A solução anulabilista do paradoxo do dogmatismo foi posta em circulação por Gilbert Harman e sugere que o problema (...) é resolvido assim que se abandona a suposição de que o conhecimento não pode ser derrotado por contraevidências. Lasonen-Aarnio acredita que tal solução é insatisfatória porque ainda haveria, em certas circunstâncias, justificação para ser dogmático mesmo admitindo e sofrendo derrota epistêmica. Desse modo, a solução anulabilista deixa ainda alguma medida de dogmatismo autorizada para o sujeito. Iniciaremos com uma introdução ao problema, explicando em que consiste o paradoxo do dogmatismo e expondo as diferentes versões nas quais foi apresentado. Em seguida, vamos nos voltar para uma versão do argumento pró-dogmatismo. Consideraremos, então, a solução anulabilista proposta por Harman e a crítica de Lasonen-Aarnio. Por fim, apresentaremos três objeções à eficácia da crítica de Lasonen-Aarnio. (shrink)

The first part of this article discusses recent skepticism about character traits. The second describes various forms of virtue ethics as reactions to such skepticism. The philosopher J.-P. Sartre argued in the 1940s that character traits are pretenses, a view that the sociologist E. Goffman elaborated in the 1950s. Since then social psychologists have shown that attributions of character traits tend to be inaccurate through the ignoring of situational factors. (Personality psychology has tended to concentrate on people's conceptions of personality (...) and character rather than on the accuracy of these conceptions). Similarly, the political theorist R. Hardin has argued for situational explanations of bloody social disputes in the former Yugoslavia and in Africa, rather than explanations in terms of ethnic hatred for example. A version of virtue ethics might identify virtues as characteristics of acts rather than character traits, as traits consisting in actual regularities in behavior, or as robust dispositions that would manifest themselves also in counterfactual situations. (shrink)

A provocative contribution to the new approach to the history and philosophy of science which emphasizes the role of radically new paradigms in scientific revolutions. While normal science proceeds as puzzle-solving within a relatively fixed paradigm, scientific crises lead to new paradigms where data, scientific problems, procedures, and standards for solutions are all altered. Scientific revolutions do not simply modify our understanding of a world which exists independently--they change the data and the world in which the scientist works. The essay (...) is filled with fascinating historical interpretations, though the analysis of the concept of a paradigm and scientific revolution is more suggestive than rigorous.--R. J. B. (shrink)

A new translation which is eminently readable and extremely accurate. Much of the awkwardness and unnecessary obscurity of the Ogden translation has been eliminated. The comprehensive index which combines both English and German expressions is designed to meet the special problems involved in understanding the Tractatus. Unfortunately Russell's introduction to the 1922 edition is reproduced without any indication of the controversy concerning Russell's interpretation, or subsequent interpretations of the Tractatus.--R. J. B.

Despite the enormous and growing interest in Marx and the availability of Marx's writing in paperback, it is scandalous how little care has been taken in producing careful texts and English translations of Marx's work. O'Malley's edition is an outstanding exception. It is carefully and intelligently edited. The result makes available an extremely interesting text of Marx. A number of scholars have already argued that in this early critique, one can discover some of the earliest formulations of distinctive Marxian themes. (...) Now the reader can judge for himself, for this is the first full English translation of Marx's Critique. But this Critique is not only extremely important for understanding Marx's intellectual development, it also helps to make Hegel's Philosophy of Right come alive. Marx's fundamental ambivalence toward Hegel is evidenced here. It is clear that Marx is still very much under Hegel's influence and we can see how deeply Hegel is shaping Marx's thought, but there is also a toughness and incisiveness in Marx's criticism of Hegel. O'Malley has provided a very extensive introduction which not only provides the necessary background for understanding this text but also explores the role of this work in the totality of Marx's development. Altogether this edition shows a care and judiciousness which is exceptional. It eminently serves the purpose of making an important text accessible.--R. J. B. (shrink)

Based on the 1964 Morse Lectures delivered at the Union Theological Seminary, this brief volume provides the best introduction to Hartshorne's defense of natural theology and the distinctive themes that he has developed in exploring religious and theological matters. Once again he calls for throwing off the intellectual chains in which the Aristotelian, so-called Platonic and neo-Platonic influences have confined theological discussion and for repudiating the claims of Hume and Kant concerning natural theology. Whether discussing the meaning of God, worship, (...) love, the status of theistic proofs, the relations between religion and science, Hartshorne has fresh insights to share. There is a vital optimism that pervades these lectures about the future of natural theology and its ability to answer rationally its critics.--R. J. B. (shrink)

Ever since the publication of L'Etre et le Néant in 1942, the intellectual world has awaited the promised publication of Sartre's ethics and political philosophy. During this period Sartre became deeply involved in politics and has moved closer to the Communist line. Now we have this massive volume which is designed to pave the way toward a reconciliation of Existentialism and Marxism. In a manner reminiscent of Hegel, Sartre traces the dialectical passage from the individual through the series --"a plurality (...) of solitudes"---to the dynamic group. Throughout, Sartre's psychological insight is evident, but the attempted union of Existentialism and Marxism seems both desperate and forced.--R. J. B. (shrink)

A lively and sympathetic critique of the ecumenical movement, emphasizing that unity is a Christian goal only as it contributes to the Church's ability to fulfill its mission. There is a good discussion of the significance of Roman Catholic and Orthodox participation in what was originally a Protestant movement. Marty's thesis is that enough unity has been attained now to get on with the mission.--R. J. W.

Considering the vast amount that has been written about "explanation" and "human action," one wonders what remains to be said. But this book is distinguished by the radicalness of the author's point of view. An alternative title might have been, Is Social Science Based On a Mistake? The answer here is an insistent yes. Surveying the social sciences, including psychology, sociology, political science, economics, etc., Louch argues that these disciplines are involved in radical conceptual confusions. The chief difficulty stems from (...) the misguided attempt to impose a univocal theory of generalized explanation on human action. Adapting techniques of Ryle, Austin, and Wittgenstein, Louch argues that "explanation" is a family of cases where there are many types of irreducibly different puzzles and paradigms. Furthermore, in his polemical dismissal of the social sciences, Louch argues that the view of human nature that they foster has pernicious social and moral consequences. The primary reason why human action eludes the distortions of social scientists is because description and explanation of action is possible only by means of moral categories. The concept of human action is itself a moral category where "assessment" terms are essential for its description. While the book is rich in suggestions, too often polemic obscures the need for careful statement and analysis.—-R. J. B. (shrink)

This book is a collection of essays, and is an exercise in literary criticism. Most of the entries couple a philosopher with a literary artist, and the majority of these have an emphasis on the philosophical partner which one frequently fails to find in this sort of study. While few of the critics are capable of sustaining their subtle distinctions, a task properly required of a philosopher, it is nonetheless true that few philosophers can likewise do this. The ability to (...) systematically sustain these distinctions is what characterizes those first-order thinkers whom the body of philosophers and critics alike study. Granting this, the fact still remains that first-rate criticism is vastly more palatable intellectual fodder than is less than first-rate philosophizing. Studies such as the current one bring philosophy back into reality; the relation of a philosopher’s thought to his period, in all of the latter’s diversity, gives to that thought a realistic character that more transparently informs the creations of the fine arts than it does the original products of thought. And if thought is to avoid the sterility which so antagonized both a Sterne and a Hegel, and to become genuinely meaningful, this larger context will be forever indispensable.—R. J. G. (shrink)

This collection of articles on Kierkegaard is designed to help make the secondary literature on Kierkegaard more available to graduate and undergraduate students. The book is divided into three parts: "The Philosophical Context"; "Reason and Faith"; and "The Ethico-Religious." The articles are a good sampling ranging from Louis Mackey's brilliant exposition of the philosophic context of Kierkegaard's thought to Brand Blanshard's graceful criticism. This anthology would have been much more helpful if it contained an index, an annotated bibliography, and an (...) introduction to orient the reader.--R. J. B. (shrink)

The authors have attempted a sustained exploration of the cluster of problems involved in the relationship between Christian faith and intellectual integrity. They alternate brief essays, each picking up where the other left off. The latter sections tend to become somewhat technical for a book intended for use by undergraduate students, but there is some fruitful philosophical encounter which could make this book useful in courses in the philosophy of religion.--R. J. W.

The author attempts to show that Plato continued to hold his theory of Forms in his later period by arguing that analysis of the late dialogues reveals their assumed existence. The objects of knowledge considered in the later dialogues have the basic traits attributed to the Forms in the middle and early dialogues. The Forms are not known by "intuition" or "acquaintance," but as that which is required for λόγος. The result of this approach is a kind of Kantian interpretation (...) of Plato—that the Forms are definitive of our experience of things, not of the things themselves.—R. J. W. (shrink)

"Hermeneutics" is a term that is slowly gaining familiarity in Anglo-Saxon countries. As is so frequently the case with movements in Continental philosophy, it has been the theologians who have first displayed a serious interest in hermeneutics. Both insofar as this study has far reaching ramifications for all disciplines concerned with the nature and art of interpretation, it is relevant to the concerns of the philosopher and the literary critic. Basically, Palmer's aim is to answer the question, "what is hermeneutics?" (...) and to present the reader with the origin and diversity of approaches in recent times. He does this admirably and the book will be helpful to anyone who wants to know what hermeneutics is all about. The book also includes a bibliography of many of the most important contributions relating to the study of hermeneutics. Palmer's own enthusiasm for the field is apparent. When he concludes with thirty theses on interpretation, it begins to look as if hermeneutics is so all-inclusive that it is difficult to see what differentiates it from other approaches to the nature of interpretation.--R. J. B. (shrink)

Although Marcuse has been lavishly praised and severely condemned, he has been almost totally neglected by academic philosophers. One would have thought that MacIntyre was the ideal philosopher to write an intelligent critique of Marcuse. MacIntyre's own interests in Freud, Marx, and social theory center about the issues that have preoccupied Marcuse. Despite the claim to present Marcuse's views and then to criticize them, MacIntyre has written a stinging polemic. Marcuse is charged with being mistaken in all his key positions. (...) He fails to understand Hegel, Marx, Freud. His account of the ills of contemporary technological society is misguided. His positive program is contemptuous and dangerous. He is guilty of furthering the corruption of our language. Typical of MacIntyre's prose is his final sentence, "The philosophy of the Young Hegelians, fragments of Marxism and revised chunks of Freud's metapsychology: out of these materials Marcuse has produced a theory that, like so many of its predecessors, invokes the great names of freedom and reason while betraying their substance at every important point." On the basis of MacIntyre's reading of Marcuse it is hard to imagine that he is anything more than a bungling idiot. There is plenty to criticize in Marcuse, but MacIntyre's polemic backfires. The best and most effective critique is based on understanding, but despite appearances there is little attempt here to take Marcuse seriously. This is a pity because both Marcuse's thought and MacIntyre's important criticisms tend to get lost in all this lively prose.--R. J. B. (shrink)

Treatises of this length and care are rarely written today and in the course of Cumming's explorations there is an enormous richness of insight, commentary, and analysis of the history of liberal thought. But at the same time, it is difficult to keep the main themes of this study in clear focus. One gets the impression that Cumming originally set out to understand liberal thought as expressed by John Stuart Mill and found himself digging into origins. Dig he does, taking (...) into account in his intellectual journey through Western Civilization: Polybius, Cicero, Augustine, Petrarch, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Hume, Bentham, James Mill and many others along the way. One can learn a great deal about this western political tradition by following Cumming's patient explications and critiques. In the foreground is always John Stuart Mill and at times Cumming fosters the misimpression that Mill culminates this entire tradition. Yet Cumming's attitude toward Mill is strangely ambivalent and toward the end of this study, Cumming seems to be more fascinated with the stages of Mill's development and his mental crisis rather than with the integrity and coherence of his political philosophy. Liberal political thought has recently come in for a severe polemical thrashing and Cumming's study might have been a detailed, eloquent defense of this tradition. But the study is deficient in attempting to show how liberal thought can directly meet the numerous criticisms that have been raised from many sides. In the preface, Cumming reports that the manuscript was on the way to the typesetters during the upheaval at Columbia when police arrived on campus. This episode symbolizes the strange feeling one has that the book is dated by the time it appeared. Despite its weaknesses as an apology for liberal thought, it excels in making us sensitive to its long and vital history.--R. J. B. (shrink)

Intended to complement the reading of Hume's own works in a philosophy course, this is a collection of recent journal articles on Hume's thought and relevant philosophical problems. Included are essays by Flew, Price, Strawson, Broad, Gasking, Penelhum, and Popper. This book should prove useful in making readily available discussions relating Hume's philosophy to contemporary problems.—R. J. W.

Kojève has been known as the most brilliant, profound, controversial, and influential commentator on Hegel in the twentieth century. "Commentator" is perhaps too neutral a word, for Kojève's lectures on Hegel have been a vehicle for articulating and defending a view of what philosophy and wisdom essentially are. Kojève's lectures on the Phenomenology of Spirit at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes from 1933-1939 were primarily responsible for the Hegelian influence on a number of major French intellectuals. The present translation which (...) consists of a selection from the collection of writings edited by Queneau, is certainly not an introduction in any ordinary sense of the term. But for those who have been caught by the power of Hegel's Phenomenology--and their number seems to be growing in the Anglo-Saxon world--an encounter with Kojève, who is clearly one of the most serious readers of Hegel, will prove immensely rewarding. It is a bit surprising that Allan Bloom whose own approach to scholarship places such a high priority on careful textual analysis has edited a rather chopped up version of the French text.--R. J. B. (shrink)

This book was originally written for the French series, Philosophes de tous les temps. It follows the format of this series with an introductory essay and series of brief selections from James. Although Reck states that he "sought to see James as the French see him," he does not limit himself to a single perspective but presents a judicious, balanced interpretation of James. There is little exploitation of the recent "discovery" of James by phenomenologically oriented philosophers. In his introductory essay, (...) Reck has attempted to be comprehensive. The essay succeeds admirably in presenting a fine introduction to James.—R. J. B. (shrink)

Gram has organized his excellent selections, around three main issues concerning Kant's Kritik: the status of the Transcendental Deduction, Kant's critique of traditional ontology, and the problems concerning synthetic a priori judgments. Selections and translations are included from the "older" generation of Kant scholars who have shaped our contemporary understanding of Kant. These include selections from Vaihinger, Paton, Lovejoy, Cassirer, Heimsoeth, and Beck. Gram's introductions to the three parts help to focus on the key problems that have been raised by (...) Kant scholars. The result is a provocative introduction to the interpretation of Kant's philosophy, especially the problems emerging from the Transcendental Analytic. A welcome addition to the growing literature in English on Kant.—R. J. B. (shrink)

Has anything of value been contributed to aesthetic issues from a Marxist point of view? I suspect that most intelligent people asked this question might be inclined to answer no. If they hesitated, it might be because of some dim awareness that there has been a great deal of concern about aesthetic issues by European intellectuals influenced by Marxism. But this present bibliography which is limited to books and articles in English shows how extensive and diverse the literature has been. (...) Many items are included here which are not primarily concerned with aesthetic issues, but which are nevertheless relevant. And there are many items which are not Marxist in orientation but bear on Marxism. The annotations are helpful and the bibliography will be a great aid to anyone interested in exploring this dimension of Marxism. It is unfortunate that the bibliography is limited to work written or translated into English, for many of the best works have not been translated. However, the compiler promises a supplemental volume dealing with foreign material.--R. J. B. (shrink)

Lachs has performed a valuable and much needed service for all who are interested in Marxist literature. Although restricting himself to English, French, and German sources and making no claim to be all-inclusive, his listing of 1557 items is coherently divided into major topic headings. For the student, Lachs' comments will be helpful in selecting the relevant items. For the non-specialist scholar, the listing can save a good deal of time and haphazard searching. For the Marxist scholar, he can double-check (...) a variety of sources. Considering the growing serious interest in Marxist literature in the English-speaking world, this useful guide is especially timely.--R. J. B. (shrink)

A readable new translation of commentaries of interest to Biblical exegetes as well as Calvin scholars. Calvin's own doctrine is often more clearly stated here than in the Institutes, and in spite of his polemical situation, much of the commentary is fresh and interesting.—R. J. W.

A new and extremely readable translation of one of Kant's early works that helps to correct the austere picture of Kant which emerges from a concern only with his critical philosophy. Kant's observations on the differences between the sexes, and his classification of national characteristics are especially delightful. The entire work shows Kant in a more empirical mood than is to be found in the Critiques. The translator's introduction is helpful for understanding Kant's personality and early work, though the brief (...) remarks about the critical philosophy are rather superficial.--R. J. B. (shrink)

Growing out of a suggestion of Paul Weiss when he served as editor of the Review of Metaphysics, a series of interrogations have been conducted with seven prominent philosophers including Buber, Wild, Wahl, Blanshard, Weiss, Hartshorne and Tillich. Each interrogation has been supervised by a philosopher familiar with the work of the interrogated philosopher and queries submitted by a wide variety of philosophers are carefully organized. Because the questions are frequently pointed and well-formed, the result is lively and informative. Some (...) of the philosophers interrogated are especially adept at facing up to the queries while others seem content to reiterate original formulations of their positions. One feels that he is listening in on genuine philosophic conversations which should prove helpful for anyone who wants to understand and assess the philosophic contribution of the philosophers who are here so incisively questioned.—R. J. B. (shrink)

A wide-ranging anthology intended for introductory courses in philosophy. This book is arranged by topics, which include the nature of philosophy, ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of religion, social philosophy, aesthetics and the philosophy of science. At least one contemporary philosopher is represented within almost every category. The readings are brief, and are chosen more to bring specific problems into focus than to be representative of their authors.—R. J. W.

The editorial board of the co-operative Research on Dewey Publications Project at Southern Illinois University should be cheered for this magnificent edition of Dewey's Psychology. Anyone who has attempted to do serious scholarly work on Dewey knows the present chaos existing among his published works. We have needed a careful edition of Dewey's collected works. But the project at Southern Illinois is attempting to do much more—to provide definitive critical editions of Dewey's works. Without being pedantic, the editorial board has (...) made an intelligent use of the best modern scholarly techniques. The result is an invaluable edition of the Psychology for the scholar, and a very readable text for the curious. It is now possible to locate at a glance the various works that Dewey cites in his study, and to discover the ways in which Dewey altered his text in the course of its twenty-six printings. As for the Psychology itself—Dewey's first book—one is struck again by its oldness and newness. It is at once bound by the tradition of psychology textbooks of the time and breaks out of these bounds with fresh ideas that were destined to form the basis for Dewey's mature philosophic outlook. The care, intelligence, and taste used in designing this definitive edition ought to serve as a model for modern editions of philosophical texts.—R. J. B. (shrink)

Brief, often overly so, selections from Schweitzer's writings. One can, however, get a sense of his ethical mysticism from this little book.—R. J. W.

One might intuitively expect that logic would lend itself to programmed teaching. This text shows that it does. The authors have provided a carefully worked out program for the propositional calculus. Considerable emphasis is placed on the intuitive plausibility of moves. The student is first introduced to Principia Mathematica notation, then shown the advantages of Polish, which is used throughout the remainder of the text. The program includes techniques for discovering proofs and a thorough discussion of validity.—R. J. W.

The literal translation of the title of this book would have been Positivist Philosophy. This accurately describes what the book is about. The present title seems to be a gimmick to catch the potential reader's eye. For there is virtually nothing about the alienation of reason here nor is this a serious history of positivist thought. The book is written in a popular essay style designed "to present a well-known phenomenon in such a way that the reader may not only (...) be informed about it objectively, but also brought closer to understanding its function in our culture." Unfortunately this latter aspect is never fully developed and explored. Instead, we have a rather straightforward but good survey of positivism focussing on the chief motifs of this movement from Hume to Logical Empiricism. The criticisms sketched are far milder than those developed by many Western analytic philosophers. It is disappointing that this rather routine work was selected for publication when there are a number of other exciting and important works of Kolakowski that might have been translated.--R. J. B. (shrink)

In the corpus of Marxist and Communist theory, there exists no complete analysis of what the future society will look like. Marx, himself, was skeptical about the possibility of providing such an analysis. Nevertheless, most Marxist theoreticians have alluded to this future society and have indicated some of its general characteristics. Analyzing the relevant writings of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, Bukharin and Stalin, the author attempts to present a description of the communist future society according to Communist doctrine. A brief (...) evaluation is given in the final chapter but it is too brief to be very helpful. This book fills an important gap in the study of Communist ideology.—R. J. B. (shrink)

We frequently think of American pragmatism as consisting of the philosophies of Peirce, James, and Dewey. But this picture of pragmatism distorts the actual historical development of this loosely associated movement. As Rucker notes and convincingly shows, it was at the University of Chicago that a truly co-operative movement among pragmatically inclined thinkers evolved. It is the story of this movement that he tells in this book. It is a movement very much involved in the history of the University of (...) Chicago, especially during the period when it was lead William Rainey Harper. Rucker describes for us how the various individuals that make up the Chicago School--including Dewey, Mead, Tufts, Angell--came to Chicago, what were their distinctive contributions, and how they exerted an enormous intellectual influence both on their students and their colleagues, especially those in the social sciences. Rucker not only presents us with a fine intellectual history of the Chicago School from 1895 until 1930, but portrays the school as a paradigm of the spirit of cooperative inquiry which was so central to the deepest convictions of the pragmatists.--R. J. B. (shrink)