What Makes a Philosopher Great?

Thirteen Arguments for Twelve Philosophers

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy
Cover of the book What Makes a Philosopher Great? by , Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9781317386834
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: November 10, 2017
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9781317386834
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: November 10, 2017
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

This book is inspired by a single powerful question. What is it to be great as a philosopher? No single grand answer is presumed to be possible; instead, rewardingly close studies of philosophical greatness are developed. This is a scholarly yet accessible volume, blending metaphilosophy with the long history of philosophy and traversing centuries and continents. The result is a series of case studies by accomplished scholars, each chapter trying to understand and convey a particular philosopher’s greatness:

Lloyd P. Gerson on Plato

Karyn Lai on Zhuangzi

David Bronstein on Aristotle

Jonardon Ganeri on Buddhaghosa

Jeffrey Hause on Aquinas

Gary Hatfield on Descartes

Karen Detlefsen on du Châtelet

Don Garrett on Hume

Allen Wood on Kant (as a moral philosopher)

Nicholas F. Stang on Kant (as a metaphysician)

Ken Gemes on Nietzsche

Cheryl Misak on Peirce

David Macarthur on Wittgenstein

This also serves a larger philosophical purpose. Might we gain increased clarity about what philosophy is in the first place? After all, in practice we individuate philosophy partly through its greatest practitioners’ greatest contributions.

The book does not discuss every philosopher who has been regarded as great. The point is not to offer a definitive list of The Great Philosophers, but, rather, to learn something about what great philosophy is and might be, from illuminated examples of past greatness.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book is inspired by a single powerful question. What is it to be great as a philosopher? No single grand answer is presumed to be possible; instead, rewardingly close studies of philosophical greatness are developed. This is a scholarly yet accessible volume, blending metaphilosophy with the long history of philosophy and traversing centuries and continents. The result is a series of case studies by accomplished scholars, each chapter trying to understand and convey a particular philosopher’s greatness:

Lloyd P. Gerson on Plato

Karyn Lai on Zhuangzi

David Bronstein on Aristotle

Jonardon Ganeri on Buddhaghosa

Jeffrey Hause on Aquinas

Gary Hatfield on Descartes

Karen Detlefsen on du Châtelet

Don Garrett on Hume

Allen Wood on Kant (as a moral philosopher)

Nicholas F. Stang on Kant (as a metaphysician)

Ken Gemes on Nietzsche

Cheryl Misak on Peirce

David Macarthur on Wittgenstein

This also serves a larger philosophical purpose. Might we gain increased clarity about what philosophy is in the first place? After all, in practice we individuate philosophy partly through its greatest practitioners’ greatest contributions.

The book does not discuss every philosopher who has been regarded as great. The point is not to offer a definitive list of The Great Philosophers, but, rather, to learn something about what great philosophy is and might be, from illuminated examples of past greatness.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book International Money by
Cover of the book Letters of Sidney Hook: Democracy, Communism and the Cold War by
Cover of the book Solitude and Privacy by
Cover of the book Ineffably Urban: Imaging Buffalo by
Cover of the book Environmental Planning Handbook by
Cover of the book Practical Counselling and Helping by
Cover of the book Nevertheless, They Persisted by
Cover of the book Give Sorrow Words by
Cover of the book Paupers by
Cover of the book Mathematics Anxiety by
Cover of the book College Fight Songs II by
Cover of the book Rural Roots of Reform Before China's Conservative Change by
Cover of the book The Political Economy of Soil Erosion in Developing Countries by
Cover of the book 33 Ways to Help with Numeracy by
Cover of the book Sponsorship in Marketing by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy