Relativism in Contemporary American Philosophy MacIntyre, Putnam, and Rorty

by Mosteller, Timothy M.

• ISBN13: 9780826486363
• ISBN10: 0826486363
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-07-24
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

Relativism about knowledge or truth has always provoked the ire of philosophers. Recently, however, Alasdair MacIntyre has observed that 'relativism ... is one of those doctrines that have by now been refuted a number of times too often.' Along with M

Table of Contents

1 Epistemological Relativism Articulated	1	(16)
Introduction	1	(1)
Relativism: general statement	2	(3)
The difficulties with ER	5	(10)
Summary	15	(2)
2 Recent Attempts to Generate A Non-problematic ER	17	(28)
Introduction	17	(4)
Meiland: "No transcendence, therefore relativism"	21	(5)
Devine: "No neutrality, therefore relativism"	26	(6)
Swoyer: "No common world, therefore relativism"	32	(3)
Stich: "No cognitive norms, therefore relativism"	35	(5)
Summary	40	(5)
3 Relativistic Tensions in Maclntyre's Epistemology	45	(32)
Introduction: three key features of Maclntyre's epistemology	45	(2)
Rationality within traditions	47	(10)
Defeating traditions	57	(6)
Putnam and Rorty on MacIntyre's relativistic tensions	63	(14)
4 Relativistic Tensions in Putnam's Epistemology	77	(47)
Introduction	77	(1)
Rejection of relativism	78	(17)
Relativistic tensions in Putnam's epistemology	95	(14)
MacIntyre and Rorty on Putnam's relativistic tensions	109	(5)
Conclusion	114	(10)
5 Relativistic Tensions in Rorty's "Epistemology"	124	(31)
Introduction	124	(1)
Rorty's views on epistemology	124	(11)
Rorty's views on epistemology and ER	135	(6)
MacIntyre and Putnam on Rorty's relativistic tensions	141	(7)
Conclusion	148	(7)
6 Toward an ER-Free Epistemology	155	(21)
Introduction	155	(1)
The standards conjunct as a necessary condition for epistemology	156	(4)
Rejecting the no neutrality conjunct	160	(1)
Accepting local neutrality	161	(15)
Conclusion	176	(6)
Bibliography	182	(9)
Index	191