Relativism in Contemporary American Philosophy MacIntyre, Putnam, and Rorty

by Mosteller, Timothy M.

• ISBN13: 9780826418913
• ISBN10: 0826418910
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-11-01
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

This is a much-needed critical study of epistemological relativism in contemporary American philosophy, with special refence to the views of Alasdair MacIntyre, Hilary Putnam and Richard Rorty.

Author Biography

Timothy M. Mosteller is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at California Baptist University, USA

Table of Contents

Epistemological Relativism Articulated	p. 1
Introduction	p. 1
Relativism: general statement	p. 2
The difficulties with ER	p. 5
Summary	p. 15
Recent Attempts to Generate A Non-problematic ER	p. 17
Introduction	p. 17
Meiland: "No transcendence, therefore relativism"	p. 21
Devine: "No neutrality, therefore relativism"	p. 26
Swoyer: "No common world, therefore relativism"	p. 32
Stich: "No cognitive norms, therefore relativism"	p. 35
Summary	p. 40
Relativistic Tensions in MacIntyre's Epistemology	p. 45
Introduction: three key features of MacIntyre's epistemology	p. 45
Rationality within traditions	p. 47
Defeating traditions	p. 57
Putnam and Rorty on MacIntyre's relativistic tensions	p. 63
Relativistic Tensions in Putnam's Epistemology	p. 77
Introduction	p. 77
Rejection of relativism	p. 78
Relativistic tensions in Putnam's epistemology	p. 95
MacIntyre and Rorty on Putnam's relativistic tensions	p. 109
Conclusion	p. 114
Relativistic Tensions in Rorty's "Epistemology"	p. 124
Introduction	p. 124
Rorty's views on epistemology	p. 124
Rorty's views on epistemology and ER	p. 135
MacIntyre and Putnam on Rorty's relativistic tensions	p. 141
Conclusion	p. 148
Toward an ER-Free Epistemology	p. 155
Introduction	p. 155
The standards conjunct as a necessary condition for epistemology	p. 156
Rejecting the no neutrality conjunct	p. 160
Accepting local neutrality	p. 161
Conclusion	p. 176
Bibliography	p. 182
Index	p. 191
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.