Donald Davidson's Triangulation Argument: A Philosophical Inquiry

ISBN-13: 9780415710275 / Angielski / Twarda / 2016 / 214 str.

Robert H. Myers; Claudine Verheggen

Opis

According to many commentators, Davidson s earlier work on philosophy of action and truth-theoretic semantics is the basis for his reputation, and his later forays, first into the theory of interpretation, and ultimately into what became known as the triangulation argument, are much less successful. This book by two of his former students aims to change that perception.

In Part One, Verheggen begins by providing an explanation and defense of the triangulation argument, then explores its implications for questions about the social character of language and thought, semantic normativity and naturalism, and skepticism about the external world. In Part Two, Myers considers what the argument has to say about values and reasons, and whether it can quiet skeptical worries based on claims about the nature of motivation, the extent of disagreement, and the authority of morality. The book reveals Davidson s later writings to be full of innovative and important ideas that deserve much more attention than they are currently receiving. "

Recenzje

"This book is an excellent piece of work, which shows that Davidson's thinking on interpretation can illuminate a number of issues in contemporary epistemology and ethics. I am less sure that Davidson's approach can give us the basis of a genuine moral realism and a genuine epistemological anti-skepticism. But the greatness of a philosopher lies in the fact that even when one disagrees with him, his thought can still be a starting point for further inquiries. Claudine Verheggen and Robert Myers perform this task remarkably." – Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

O autorze

Robert H. Myers is Professor of Philosophy at York University, Canada. Claudine Verheggen is Associate Professor of Philosophy at York University, Canada.