Greg Detre
2/2/01
What we can learn from philosophy in the 20th century
gather Library of living philosophers � Annual Congress round table
Quine, Strawson, M Grin(???), Nasa(???), Davidson(???), Abdul(???)
Quine: I pass
Strawson: only one who prepared anything
addressed to them as a collective, or as individuals
what�s most central of the views you�ve come to hold
what about influential things you don't believe???
philosophy has inquired into itself � meta-philosophy
mistake: assume only the last few decades are important
that any single philosopher has got much completely right
Grice: philosophy is a single discipline, indivisible and unified
what unites/defines philosophy???
so what is the objective of philosophy?
how we should live, determining
limits of human knowledge, self-understanding
aim at general human, conceptual self-understanding
cf Wittgenstein, obsession with liberating from illusion
distrusted systematic generalising
missed the structure underlying it all
and some pervasive features of thought + experience
cannot deny:
the reality of subjective experience
presence of abstract intentional objects/entities in our thought
as individuals, what is the wmost important philosophy question in your career?
bearers of T+ F, subject of predicate
defense of the notion of propositional content, even though it�s difficult to pin down
phatic vs eloqutionary???
no clear general criterion of identity for such items (Quine) � no matter
opposition to minimalism (including reductionism, extensionalism, phenomenalism etc.)
this Gricean preference is more divisive
Plato + Descartes � fathers of philosophy, now a damaging charge
Snowdon: interview with God
philosophy as < philosophy of language, rather than mind (in the narrow sense)
philosophy of mind � usually mind-body etc.
= very different to discussion of self-understanding and propositional attitudes
defend propositional content
in what sense being used by the speaker
(enough for us to tell what someone means)
what referents are being used
Quine: no entity without identity
either a truism or an unmeetable demand
which philosopher have you learnt most from?
Kant � epistemology
Hume � moral
Aristotle
sceptical of certain �isms� � where does the phys come in?
how are the abstract objects connected to the physical world?
the referents tie it to the physical
does philosophy progress?
we don't make the mistakes that we did
philosophy literature �
danger of philosophy mass production?
bad feature, though necessary for the good stuff to sit on
modern productionism
Strawson vs Quine � clash of aesthetics of ontology
Quine is religious � the religion of science + maths
philosophy as general conceptual self-understanding vs science � how come empirical advances influence philosophy?
philosophy must take account of them, e.g. Kant�s metaphysics are clearly wrong
do physicists really understand QM?
they say it must be ok because it�s given the right results - hmph
what did you say to Galen as a child???
Galen developed philosophical bent rather later
though small children might seem to be asking philosophical questions
philosophy: how to live our lives
Grice: bemoan � of astrology�???
integral to philosophise to living a good life
no, can't be the only way
encourages a sceptical and critical attitude, detachment from things that shouldn't concern us deeply
critical + sceptical attitude � anything but good
presumes we should be striving for the truth
no, that shouldn't be our sole objective, at the expense of normal human virtues
perhaps better to be accepting of social moral
natural human sentiments (Hume) + artificial ones that make life tolerable
what about non-analytic philosophy? e.g. post-modernism, existentialism
what is post-modernism? a sort of anti-rationalism
Sartre had good psychological insights
is there room for philosophy to influence society and politics?
analytic philosophy of today probably won�t
have political events shaped your philosophy thinking?
came to Oxf in 1937 doing English Literature
Europe threatened by Nazis, so decided to learn more about politics and economics
already interested in philosophy, switched to PPE
economics held no fascination, politics interesting ashistory
young, more left-wing
would do PPP now??? Philosophy + English � teach English student to think, philosophy to write
paradigm shifts: round the corner? e.g. stress on language in post-War
impossible to predict, hope not
prize methodology = limiting rather than helpful
has no methodology
greatest unresolved problem?
1950s � Oxford philosophy (ordinary language philosophy) � you were there; what was the impotance of that?
forces us to pay attention to language
� Wilson anticipated this
great mistake to overlook that
how do you go about writing philosophy?
need to know what question you�re addressing, mull over your response
question first, or topic, or opinion first?
rarely think you see an insight/connection � exciting, but scary
Descartes: soul substance won't do
emphasised the subjective �/span>
Hume: couldn't help taking the path, once accept empiricism inherited from Descartes
defended best by Ayers
ever had the experience of not believing your own conclusions?
Hume played backgammon
take recourse in society
philosophy never impinged on �
Nietzsche writes well, insight�������� no
odious morally
(Nietzsche as only guide???0
�religious temperament but no religious beliefs� � Wittgenstein
suitably moved by some things, beauty, human achievement, sweet human nature
Oxford philosophers only interested in talking to Oxford philosophers?
not true, especially of himself
here, there are certain issues + books at the forefront
mainly engaging with other Oxford philosophers
much truer in the 50s
has the centre of gravity shifted to the US
Oxford tutorial system?
incomparably the best, especially in philosophy
change in students � � resistance/trends
no tutes since 1968
CCT � more docile � Tas agree???
pihl discipline �/span> � fragmented � same in science
because of productionism
is the best we can do to describe reality as we see it?
world as it is in itself � is of no interest to us
all philosophy as philosophy of mind???
science = the investigation of the world of appearances
is philosophy a blessing or a curse???
is Galen a minimalist???
paper available on web???
Tas: how persaude Strawson to come???
where place Nietzsche in the canon of philosophy???
ever tempted by Nietzsche???
Kant�s capaciousness of mind, comprehensiveness of system