International Library of Philosophy: The Philosophy of As if [Hardcover]

H. Vaihinger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0415225299 | ISBN-13: 978-0415225298 | Edition: 1

What is the nature of knowledge and truth? What influences our attitudes, and the way we think? What is the nature of the Universe and our place in it? Such questions have interested philosophers for thousands of years. Each of the five books in this set address these questions in their own way. Conditions of Knowing criticises the naiveté of contemporary epistemological and metaphysical attitudes and sets forth suggestions for improvements. The Philosophy of 'As If', published in 1924 looks at how we engage in false ideas and judgements and aims to create a more fruitful relationship between positivism and idealism. The set also includes Frederick Albert Lange's classic History of Materialism, first published in 1890, and republished in 1925.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (November 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415225299
• ISBN-13: 978-0415225298
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 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: #3,846,402 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A philosophical classic, January 8, 2007

By 

Y. Kurtz (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: International Library of Philosophy: The Philosophy of As if (Hardcover)

How do we know what we know? What is knowledge? Are there different kinds of knowledge? These epistemological questions and more are dealt with head on in Vaihinger's seminal work. Although it is to a degree predated by Jeremy Bentham's 'Theory of Fictions', Vaihinger's rendition is many times more rigorous, since he carefully catalogues every conceivable kind of 'fiction' in his work. I encountered Vaihinger while reading Nietzsche, and many readers will see some interesting parallels between the two (cf. Nietzsche's early writing 'On Truth and Lie in an Extra-Moral Sense). Vaihinger has interesting things to say about the ontological status of knowledge and for those with an interest in epistemology, I think you'll find his work worthwhile.