PHIL
309: Twentieth Century Analytic Philosophy
LARKIN:
Spring 2003
________________________________________
A.
Change
in Philosophical Climate and Conduct: The influence of science and the professionalization/specialization
of philosophers led to a new way that the business of philosophy was
conducted. Conduct was also
dramatically influenced by the development of modern logic and a modern sense
of self-consciousnessConduct
1.
Less
systematic: Philosophers were working in a more piecemeal fashion on narrower
problems/puzzles.
2.
Less
speculative: Philosophical claims were much more sensitive to and constrained
by science and common sense.
3.
Focus
on language: The medium for philosophical thought/discussion itself becomes
more of an element of philosophical concern.
4.
Employ
new logic as tool
B.
Themes
of Analytic Philosophy: In some sense
or other, all of the analytic schools are concerned with the following:
1.
Nature
of Philosophy (Meta-Philosophy)
a.
Criticism
of traditional philosophy
b.
New
Function for Philosophy
c.
Analytic
Method
d.
Relationship
to Science and Common Sense
e.
Impact
of focus on language and logic
2.
Realism
and Empiricism
a.
Metaphysics
i.
Realism
=df Not-Idealism
ii.
Idealism
=df Some significant portion of Reality that is ordinarily thought to be
mind-independent is really mind dependent
b.
Epistemology
i.
Empiricism
=df Not-Rationalism
ii.
Rationalism
=df There is some special faculty by means of which creatures like us have
access to Reality that is superior in some way(s) to the access provided by
sense-perception.
3.
Meaning
and Ontology
a.
Theories
of meaning.
b.
Drawing
ontological conclusions from an analysis of language.
C.
Historical
Context: The following are somewhat artificial and over-simplified, but may
nevertheless help give a sense of how analytic philosophy fits into a larger
historical context:
1.
Two-Dimensional
Map of Philosophical Space
2.
Absolute
Idealism vs. Analytic Philosophy
|
Absolute
Idealists |
Analysts |
|
1. Reality is radically mind-dependent |
1. Reality is radically mind-independent |
|
2. Reality and Truth come in degrees |
2. Reality and truth are all or nothing |
|
3. Reality is fundamentally an organic whole
(synthesis is thus appropriate method to get at fundamental nature of
reality) |
3. Reality is fundamentally mechanically
atomistic (analysis is thus appropriate method to get at fundamental nature
of reality) |
|
4. Rationalism |
4. Empiricism |
|
5. Knowledge is possible because Reality is
made for minds—made to be known |
5. Knowledge is possible because minds have
been adapted to Reality |
D.
Schools:
See Handout “Analytic Schools”