This book is an integrated series of philosophical investigations that offers significant new insights into key philosophical concerns ranging from methodological issues to substantive doctrines. Consisting of three sections, it first deals with the nature of philosophizing itself and seeks to illustrate the project from the angle of the pragmatic tradition. The second section is devoted to issues of knowledge and how the cognitive project goes about producing results that are cogent and objective. The third and closing section considers how the ideas and perspectives of these considerations can be applied and implemented in various matters of personal judgment and practice.

Autorentext

Nicholas Rescher is Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh, USA. In a productive research career extending over six decades, he has well over one hundred books to his credit. Fourteen books about Rescher's philosophy have been published in five languages.

Inhalt

Preface

PART I: ISSUES OF PHILOSOPHY

Introduction  

Chapter 1:    On Philosophical Deliberation

Chapter 2:    On Philosophical Historiography

Chapter 3:    Pragmatic Perspectives

PART II: ISSUES OF KNOWLEDGE

Chapter 4:    Imprecise Boundaries

Chapter 5:    Conjecture

Chapter 6:    The Limits of Language

Chapter 7:    Quantitative Epistemology

Chapter 8:    Issues of Explanation

Chapter 9:    Does Inference to the Best Explanation Work?

Chapter 10:  Contingency

PART III: ISSUES OF PRACTICE

Chapter 11: Luck

Chapter 12:  The Protagoras Perplex

Chapter 13:  Acknowledging Scientific Contributions

Chapter 14:  Personal vs. Social Utilitarianism

Chapter 15:  On Excuses for Moral Obligation

Chapter 16:  On the Philosophy of Religion