A fresh, daring, and genuine alternative to the traditional story of scientific progress

Explaining the world around us, and the life within it, is one of the most uniquely human drives, and the most celebrated activity of science. Good explanations are what provide accurate causal accounts of the things we wonder at, but explanation's earthly origins haven't grounded it: we have used it to account for the grandest and most wondrous mysteries in the natural world. Explanations give us a sense of understanding, but an explanation that feels right doesn't mean it is true. For every true...

In All Talked Out J.D. Trout exemplifies the power of science in a philosopher's hands, and takes a welcome look at the resulting fate of philosophy. Based on his 2013 Phi Beta Kappa Romanell Lectures, each chapter presents a novel and positive view of intellectual advancements with respect to traditional topics in philosophy, and explains why these achievements occurred despite the archaic and often retrograde influence of philosophical doctrine and method.

Together, these two lines of inquiry lead the reader to understand that while foundational reflection remains as necessary...