Donald Davidson (Contemporary Philosophy in Focus) [Hardcover]

Kirk Ludwig (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521790433 | ISBN-13: 978-0521790437 | Publication Date: July 28, 2003

Written by a distinguished roster of philosophers, this volume includes chapters on truth and meaning; the philosophy of action; radical interpretation; philosophical psychology; knowledge of the external world; other minds and our own minds; and the implications of Davidson's work for literary theory. Donald Davidson has been one of the most influential figures in modern analytic philosophy and has made significant contributions to a wide range of subjects. Embodied in a series of landmark essays stretching over nearly 40 years, his principal work exhibits a unity rare among philosophers contributing on so many diverse fronts. Kirk Ludwig, the recipient of two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, has taught at the University of Florida's Department of Philosophy since 1995. His areas of research specialization include philosophy of language, epistemology, and philosophy of mind. He has contributed chapters to a number of volumes on these topics as well as published articles in Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Mind and Language, and elsewhere.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...the collection gives a very good sense of Davidson's unitary position on an impressively large array of issues, and provides a vivid picture of both the breadth and depth of Davidson's integrated system of views." Philosophy in Review

"...a first-rate introduction to Davidson's philosophy which will be most beneficial to students. The book is sufficiently accessible for undergraduates to digest but will also interest graduate students and those with a professional interest in Davidson's philosophy." Metapsychology

Book Description

Donald Davidson has been one of the most influential figures on modern analytic philosophy and has made seminal contributions in a wide range of subjects: philosophy of language, philosophy of action, philosophy of mind, epistemology, metaphysics and the theory of rationality. His principal work, embodied in a series of landmark essays stretching over nearly 40 years, exhibits a unity rare among philosophers contributing on so many diverse fronts. This is the only comprehensive introduction to the full range of Davidson's work.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 254 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (July 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521790433
• ISBN-13: 978-0521790437
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,408,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally! An in-depth, comprehensible intro to Davidson, March 31, 2005

By 

Randall Helzerman (campbell, ca) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Donald Davidson (Contemporary Philosophy in Focus) (Paperback)

NOTE TO READER: Unfortunately, due to a glitch in Amazon's review system, you can read this review from two different books:

The right book: Donald Davidson (Contemporary Philosophy in Focus) edited by Kirk Ludwig
The wrong book: Donald Davidson: Meaning, Truth, Language, and Reality written by Leport and Ludwig.

Although I recommend both books, this review is for the first book.

Davidson's philosophy is very systematic, but very unsystematically presented. It has only been available in bits and pieces--an essay here, an interview there, perhaps some conference proceedings, etc. Getting the big picture was almost as hard as studying a pointalistic painting under a microscope--each dot was there, but how do they form a coherent whole?

This circumstance makes the appearance of this book quite fortunate indeed. Each chapter is written by first-rate philosophers who can do a first-rate job of presenting Davidson's philosophy to a newbie audience.

A note of caution: as I'm sure the authors themselves would agree, reading this book is NOT a substitute for reading Davidson's essays. This book isn't a substitute for Davidson, but a wide and accessible road which leads to Davidson. After reading this book you will be able to understand and confront Davidson's essays directly--an experience which has profoundly affected even very great philosophers such as Quine and Rorty.