Customer Reviews

Pursuit of Truth

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I was immensely pleased with this book. As an expository introduction to Quine's thought it does nicely. For one such as me, one not terribly familiar with Quine's work but a student of philosophy, the language was clear and easy to understand. I suggest that if you have not studied much philosophy, mathematics, or lingusitics the language will not be altogether clear. That is only to say Quine uses technical language often enough. If you are not altogether familiar with the technical language that has sprung up in the analytic tradition, this work will require studying rather than just reading. That being said, Quine does expend some energy in making the book understandable to the novice; with a little work, anyone can follow the exposition.

Once last word before I go. This book is an exposition of Quine's thought. Quine's thought is a system constructed in response to the failures of Logical positivism and other radical empirical movements. His starting point, then, are the problems that linguistic philosophy and empiricism faced. If one is not aware of those problems and schools of thought, some of the exposition will have to be read as both an introduction to those problems and one man's solutions, particularly the chapters on Meaning, Intention and Truth. I think no better author or book can be found to introduce those problems, and the solutions herein are effiecent, to say the very least.

A concise summary and exposition of Quine's philosophy. This seems like it would be an invaluable book for those studying Quine. As an introduction to his philosophy it does a fair job, though it passes over a lot of points a bit quickly for someone unfamiliar with him.