After a Darwinian-type account of what beliefs are and how they arose in animals acting to cope with their environments--"low beliefs," virtually all of which are true--Wallace Matson here shows how the invention of language led to imagination and thence to beliefs formed in other ways ("high beliefs"), not true though thought to be, which could be consolidated into mythologies, the first Grand Unified Theories of Everything. Science began when Thales of Miletus produced a Grand Theory based on low ("everyday") beliefs. Matson traces the course of science and philosophy through seven centuries to their sudden and violent displacement by Christianity with its Grand Theory of the old type. Against the widespread opinion that modern philosophy has slowly but completely emancipated itself from bondage to theology, he shows how remnants from the medieval 'interlude' still lurk unnoticed in the purportedly neutral notions of logical possibility, possible worlds, and laws as commands, to the detriment of the natural harmony between science and philosophy, including ethics. Accessibly written, this is a book for all who are interested in the foundations of 21st century thought and who wonder where the cracks might be.
Les mer
This unconventional book by a distinguished historian of philosophy tells the story of how humans became rational beings.
Chapter 1. Introduction. ; PART ONE. BEFORE MILETUS ; Chapter 2. A Brief History of Coping. ; Chapter 3. Language ; Chapter 4. High and Low Beliefs ; Chapter 5. The 'Will to Believe' ; Chapter 6. Eden ; Chapter 7. Babylon ; PART TWO. MILETUS TO ALEXANDRIA ; Chapter 8. Miletus: the Invention of Science ; Chapter 9. Anaximander and Anaximenes ; Chapter 10. Science and Philosophy Come to Italy ; Chapter 11. Athens I. ; Chapter 12. Atomism ; Chapter 13. Athens II: Plato ; Chapter 14. Athens III: Aristotle ; Chapter 15. Alexandria ; Chapter 16. Beliefs About Believers ; PART THREE. THE LEGACY OF CHRISTIANITY ; Chapter 17. Jerusalem Collides with Athens ; Chapter 18. Cartesianism ; Chapter 19. Miletus Preserved I: Hobbes ; Chapter 20. Institutions ; Chapter 21. Miletus Preserved II: Spinoza ; Chapter 22. The Strange Case of David Hume ; Chapter 23. Ethics Without Edification. ; Chapter 24. L'Envoi ; Chapter 25. Conclusion?
Les mer
The book offers an innovative and exciting perspective on two problems important in the contemporary philosophy of science: that false beliefs are ubiquitous and that propositions have a shady ontological status... Matson sets off in a fresh, if not entirely new, direction ... Grand Theories and Everyday Beliefs is well worth reading.
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"While utilizing the insights and criticisms of philosophers and scientists before him, the book avoids the literary downfalls of its predecessors; it is succinct, approachable, and immensely enjoyable to read. Each chapter offers up a distinct focus and resolves in a clarifying abstract. The topics addressed inevitably set the book as a spark for debate between scholars and laymen alike, but it serves also as tangible proof of the low belief that philosophy matters every day."--Publishers Weekly "This remarkable work by Matson can be read on the surface as an engaging journey through intellectual history, rich in details drawn from the author's encyclopedic knowledge of the history of philosophy...For general readers this is an accessible, intriguing history of philosophy. It will appeal to all who seek to understand the ongoing tension between religious belief and scientific theory. Highly recommended."--CHOICE
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Selling point: Matson traces an unusually broad ranging story about the history of philosophy and the origins and development of science. Selling point: Written in a clear style and with a minimum of scholarly apparatus.
Les mer
Wallace Matson is Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley. He is the co-author of A New History of Philosophy, Vol. I and II.
Selling point: Matson traces an unusually broad ranging story about the history of philosophy and the origins and development of science. Selling point: Written in a clear style and with a minimum of scholarly apparatus.
Les mer

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9780199812691
Publisert
2012
Utgiver
Vendor
Oxford University Press Inc
Vekt
446 gr
Høyde
236 mm
Bredde
162 mm
Dybde
22 mm
Aldersnivå
G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
240

Forfatter

Biographical note

Professor of Philosophy, University of California, Berkeley. Co-author of A NEW HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY, vols 1 and 2 (Wadsworth)