Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy [Paperback]

Avrum Stroll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2001

Analytic philosophy is difficult to define since it is not so much a specific doctrine as a loose concatenation of approaches to problems. As well as having strong ties to scientism -the notion that only the methods of the natural sciences give rise to knowledge -it also has humanistic ties to the great thinkers and philosophical problems of the past. Moreover, no single feature characterizes the activities of analytic philosophers. Undaunted by these difficulties, Avrum Stroll investigates the "family resemblances" between that impressive breed of thinkers known as analytic philosophers. In so doing, he grapples with the point and purpose of doing philosophy: What is philosophy? What are its tasks? What kind of information, illumination, and understanding is it supposed to provide if it is not one of the natural sciences? Imbued with clarity, liveliness, and philosophical sophistication, Stroll´s book presents a synoptic picture of the main developments in logic, philosophy of language, epistemology, and metaphysics in the past century. It does this by concentrating on the individual thinkers whose ideas have been most influential. Major themes in Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy include: · the innovation of mathematical logic by Gottlob Frege at the close of the nineteenth century and its independent development by Bertrand Russell; · the impact of advancements in science on the world of philosophy and its importance for understanding such doctrines as logical positivism, philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and eliminative materialism; · the refusal by such thinkers as Wittgenstein, Moore, and Austin to treat logic as an ideal language superior to natural languages; and · a conjecture about which, if any, of the philosophers discussed in the book will enter the pantheon of philosophical gods. Along the way, Stroll also covers the theories of Rudolf Carnap, W. V. O. Quine, Gilbert Ryle, J. L. Austin, Hilary Putnam, Saul Kripke, John Searle, Ruth Marcus, and Patricia and Paul Churchland. Stroll´s approach to his subject treats the critical movements in analytic philosophy in terms of the philosophers who defined them. The notoriously complex realm of analytic philosophy emerges less as an abstract enterprise than as a domain of personalities and their competing methods and arguments. The book´s inventive presentations of complex logical doctrines relate them to the traditional problems of philosophy, seeking the continuity between them rather than polemical distinctions so as to bring the true differences of their respective achievements into sharper focus.

(Journal of the History of Philosophy )

Editorial Reviews

Review

"No other book has canvassed the last century as Stroll has, and with such insight. Written with wit and verve, Stroll's book is informative and eloquent." -- "Journal of the History of Philosophy"

About the Author

Avrum Stroll is Research Professor of Philosophy at the University of California, San Diego. A distinguished philosopher and a noted scholar in the fields of epistemology, philosophy of language, and twentieth-century analytic philosophy, he is the author of many books, most recently Surfaces, Moore and Wittgenstein on Certainty, and Sketches of Landscapes: Philosophy by Example.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (September 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231112211
• ISBN-13: 978-0231112215
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,267,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly lively and interesting, January 12, 2002

By 

Jonas Vestlund (Arvika, Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy (Hardcover)

For the student of philosophy, this book together with a collection of original papers could make a very good introduction to analytic philosophy. For the professional philosopher and others with good knowledge of twentieth century analytic philosophy, it could serve as a roadmap to compare with your own understanding.

In spite of a subject, which, in some ways, could be boring, I find this book often very fun and amusing. So far as I can understand it is also written with very good understanding and insight in to it's subject.

The chapter on the future of analytic philosophy and the question of which philosophers who will be still famous in the future is well argued and very interesting. And Yes, if you placed your money on Wittgenstein as a star of philosophy in year 2200 there are god arguments that you have made a good investment.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Some good stuff, some not so good stuff, June 8, 2007

By 

SL (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy (Paperback)

I'd actually give this book three and a half stars if I could. It's kind of a mixed bag -- the good sections (like the section on Austin) combine clear introductory overviews with insightful critical observations. But the not-so-good sections (like the section on Carnap) are muddled, assume too much knowledge, and will just be confusing to someone who's not well-versed in the topic already. The whole book's like that -- some interesting, clear, enlightening paragraphs alternating with some murky, poorly-explained, head-scratching paragraphs. Not bad if you're looking for some insights on 20th century analytic philosophers, but not great for a first intro. (Btw, a fair amount of the book is taken from Stroll's section on 20th century analytic philosophy in the Columbia History of Western Philosophy. That section is shorter than this book, but I found it more clearly written and structured and a much better overall read, albeit with a few details missing that you get in this book.)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 20th Century Analytic Philosophy, November 21, 2007

By 

Sam Adams (Minnesota. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Twentieth-Century Analytic Philosophy (Hardcover)

The author states: "This study is not so much a survey of the period as a depiction of what I regard as some main philosophical ideas in the twentieth century." (pg 9)

The eight philosophers he concentrates on are:

Gottlob Frege (1848-1925)

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970)

G. E. Moore (1873-1958)

Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951)

Rudolf Carnap (1891-1970)

J. L. Austin (1911-1960)

Gilbert Ryle (1900-1976)

W. V. O. Quine (1908-2000)

In chapter eight he discusses the theories of Ruth Barcan Marcus, Saul Kripke, and Hilary Putnam. In the final chapter the author contends that "Wittgenstein may well be the most original philosopher since Kant." (pg 253) He means, beyond that, to say that Wittgenstein is the greatest philosopher since Kant. He then discusses a few issues in philosophy of mind and perception, then ends by declaring his belief that philosophy (by which he means English speaking philosophy) has not trivialized itself out of intellectual significance. His book shows no evidence that it hasn't.

Chapter titles:

(1) The Solera System

(2) Philosophical Logic

(3) Logical Positivism and the Tractatus

(4) G. E. Moore: A Ton of Bricks

(5) Wittgenstein's Later Philosophy: "The Stream of Life"

(6) Ryle and Austin: The Golden Age of Oxford Philosophy

(7) W. v. O. Quine

(8) Direct Reference Theories

(9) Today and Tomorrow