12 Modern Philosophers

by Christopher Belshaw, Gary Kemp

Overview

Featuring essays from leading philosophical scholars, 12 Modern Philosophers explores the works, origins, and influences of twelve of the most important late 20th Century philosophers working in the analytic tradition.

• Draws on essays from well-known scholars, including Thomas Baldwin, Catherine Wilson, Adrian Moore and Lori Gruen
• Locates the authors and their oeuvre within the context of the discipline as a whole
• Considers how contemporary philosophy both draws from, and contributes to, the broader intellectual and cultural milieu

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781405152624
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	01/27/2009
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Christopher Belshaw is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy and Staff Tutor with the Open University. He works mainly at the theoretical end of applied ethics. He is the author of Ideas (1998), Environmental Philosophy (2001), and 10 Good Questions About Life and Death (Blackwell, 2005). Another book, Annihilation: The Sense and Significance of Death, is forthcoming (2009).

  Gary Kemp is Senior Lecturer in the Philosophy Department at the University of Glasgow. He works in the philosophy of logic and language, on Frege, Russell, Quine, and Davidson, and on aesthetics and philosophical themes in literature. He is the author of Quine: A Guide for the Perplexed (2005) and, with Tracy Bowell, of Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide (3rd edn. 2009).

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vi

Notes on Contributors viii

Introduction Christopher Belshaw and Gary Kemp 1

1 Quine A. W. Moore 16

2 Rawls Thomas Baldwin 34

3 Davidson Ernie Lepore and Kirk Ludwig 54

4 Williams Catherine Wilson 76

5 Rorty Alan Malachowski 94

6 Fodor José Luis Bermúdez 115

7 Nagel Sonia Sedivy 134

8 Kripke Alexander Bird 153

9 Nozick A. R. Lacey 173

10 Parfit Jacob Ross 192

11 McDowell Marie McGinn 216

12 Singer Lori Gruen 232

Index 251

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This book was a superb idea and has been superbly done." –Brad Hooker, University of Reading

“This engaging collection shows philosophy for what it is at its best: enlivening, stimulating, exacting, and – true to the promise of its Socratic origins – ever capable of provocatively unsettling the otherwise unexamined presumptions that would blind us to life’s absorbing complexities. Informative, illuminating reading.” –Garry L. Hagberg, University of East Anglia

Editorial Reviews

"The 12 essays by 12 different authors are clear and concise; they offer both summaries and critiques that give valuable guidance to those who are new to the writings of these thinkers." (CHOICE, 2009)

  “It is recommended not only to readers not yet familiar with philosophical discourse and concerns, but also to 'insiders' who wish to get a clearer view of the various debates and discussions that are taking place in philosophy today.” (Metapsychology, August 2009)

From the Publisher