Philosophy after Objectivity: Making Sense in Perspective [Paperback]

Paul K. Moser (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195130944 | ISBN-13: 978-0195130942 | Publication Date: October 7, 1999

Since the beginning of philosophy, philosophers have sought objective knowledge: knowledge of things whose existence does not depend on one's conceiving of them. This book uses lessons from debates over objective knowledge to characterize the kinds of reasons pertinent to philosophical and other theoretical views. It argues that we cannot meet skeptics' typical demands for nonquestion-begging support for claims to objective truth, and that therefore we should not regard our supporting reasons as resistant to skeptical challenges. One key lesson is that a constructive, explanatory approach to philosophy must change the subject from skeptic-resistant reasons to perspectival reasons arising from variable semantic commitments and instrumental, purpose-relative considerations. The book lays foundations for such a reorientation of philosophy, treating fundamental methodological issues in ontology, epistemology, the theory of meaning, the philosophy of mind, and the theory of practical rationality. It explains how certain perennial debates in philosophy rest not on genuine disagreement, but on conceptual diversity: talk about different matters. The book shows how acknowledgment of conceptual diversity can resolve a range of traditional disputes in philosophy. It also explains why philosophers need not anchor their discipline in the physicalism of the natural sciences.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Moser's book should draw a large response. It deserves careful study by epistemologists, metaphysicians, and anyone interested in the philosophy of language."--The Review of Metaphysics

"With this work, Paul Moser's philosophy appears to have taken a quite significant and decidedly postmodern turn....This book is an excellent and wide-ranging work that tackles deep issues in metaphilosophy, and brings to certain `postmodern' themes the precision and clarity of an outstanding analytic philosopher."--The Philosophical Review

About the Author

Paul K. Moser is at Loyola University of Chicago.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195130944
• ISBN-13: 978-0195130942
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,249,919 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul K. Moser is Professor and Chairperson of Philosophy at Loyola University Chicago and the Editor of the American Philosophical Quarterly. His most recent book is The Evidence for God (Cambridge University Press, 2010). The book is a sequel to his book, The Elusive God (Cambridge University Press, 2008), which won the 2011 Alpha Sigma Nu Book Award for Philosophy. Paul Moser's next book will be The Severity of God: Rigor and Lenience in Religion (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2013). Currently, he is co-editing a collection entitled The Wisdom of the Christian Faith (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming 2013). He is also Co-Editor of the new Cambridge University Press book series, Cambridge Studies in Religion, Philosophy, and Society.