Pragmatism without foundations : reconciling realism and relativism

Bibliographic Information

Pragmatism without foundations : reconciling realism and relativism

Joseph Margolis

(The Persistence of reality, 1)

Blackwell, 1986

  • : pbk

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Note

Includes bibliographies and index

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

ISBN 9780631150343

Table of Contents

Preface Acknowledgements Prologue: A Sense of the Issue Introduction Part One: The Defence and Application of Relativism Chapter 1: The Nature and Strategies of Relativism Chapter 2: Historicism and Universalism Chapter 3: Objectivism and Relativism Chapter 4: Rationality and Realism Chapter 5: Relativism and Realism Part Two: Foundations and the Recovery of Pragmatism Chapter 6: The Legitimation of Realism Chapter 7: Pragmatism without Foundations Chapter 8: A Sense of Rapprochement between Analytic and Continental Philosophy Chapter 9: Cognitive Issues in the Realist/Idealist Dispute Chapter 10: Scepticism, Foundationalism, and Pragmatism Chapter 11: Scientific Realism as a Transcendental Issue Notes Index.
Volume

: pbk ISBN 9780631165842

Description

A summary of the main issues in contemporary epistemology, arguing for a revision of our ideas about the relation between the mind and the world. Margolis demonstrates that we cannot distinguish between robust relativism and non-dogmatic realism, and proposes a version of epistemological pragmatism. The book provides a full-scale defence of a workable and coherent relativism, addressed to the entire range of contemporary Western philosophy. It presents both a formal account of pragmatism's logical features, and substative and detailed argument demonstrating its explanatory force in quarrels among philosophies of science and theories of knowledge. It also offers a fully worked out attempt to reconcile relativism and realism in the context of the burgeoning uncertainties of scientific realism, through a close reading of the problems which both Anglo-American and continental European philosophy are beginning to share. Professor Margolis's argument distinguishes between three varieties of relativism: protagoreanism (the ancient doctrine), incommensurabilism (the most prominent recent version) and a third option, robust or moderate relativism. The book concludes by showing that bipolar models of truth and falsehood are too restrictive for many inquiries, which are better served when logically weaker truth-like values are assigned. The argument is pursued with regard to trascendental issues, anti-realism, scientific realism, historicism, extensionalism, universalism, the rejection of all forms of cognitive privilege, the salient features of a variety of empirical disciplines.

Table of Contents

  • Preface
  • Acknowledgements
  • Prologue: A Sense of the Issue
  • Introduction
  • Part One: The Defence and Application of Relativism Chapter 1: The Nature and Strategies of Relativism Chapter 2: Historicism and Universalism Chapter 3: Objectivism and Relativism Chapter 4: Rationality and Realism Chapter 5: Relativism and Realism
  • Part Two: Foundations and the Recovery of Pragmatism Chapter 6: The Legitimation of Realism Chapter 7: Pragmatism without Foundations Chapter 8: A Sense of Rapprochement between Analytic and Continental Philosophy Chapter 9: Cognitive Issues in the Realist/Idealist Dispute Chapter 10: Scepticism, Foundationalism, and Pragmatism Chapter 11: Scientific Realism as a Transcendental Issue.

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Details

  • NCID
    BA00526408
  • ISBN
    • 063115034X
    • 0631165843
  • LCCN
    86010755
  • Country Code
    uk
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    Oxford ; New York
  • Pages/Volumes
    xix, 320 p.
  • Size
    24 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
  • Parent Bibliography ID
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