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.

Looks at the constitution of philosophy itself and its openness to treatment from a pragmatic point of view Explores major themes in the theory of knowledge, moving from issues of fundamentals to their application and implementation in scientific inquiry Addresses issues of philosophical individuals in relation to the conduct of human life 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

Introduction.- Chapter 1: On Philosophical Deliberation.- Chapter 2: On Philosophical Historiography.- Chapter 3: Pragmatic Perspectives.- 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.- 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.