Philosophy in the Age of Science?

Inquiries into Philosophical Progress, Method, and Societal Relevance

Edited by Julia Hermann, Jeroen Hopster, Wouter Kalf, Michael Klenk

Publication date:

09 June 2020

Length of book:

284 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781538142820

Current academic philosophy is being challenged from several angles. Subdisciplinary specialisations often make it challenging to articulate philosophy’s relevance for the societal questions of our day.Additionally, the success of the ‘scientific method’ puts pressure on philosophers to articulate their methods and specify how these can be successful. How does philosophical progress come about? What can philosophy contribute to our understanding of today’s world? Moreover, can it also contribute to resolving urgent societal challenges, such as anthropogenic climate change?

This edited volume evaluates the place of philosophy in the age of science. It addresses three related sub-themes: philosophical progress, philosophical method and philosophy’s societal relevance. Fourteen authors engage with these sub-themes, focusing on the topics of their philosophical expertise, such as the philosophy of religion, evolutionary ethics and the nature of free will. In doing so, they explore their methods of enquiry, and look at how progress in their research comes about.

Introduction, Julia Hermann, Jeroen Hopster, Wouter Kalf, Michael Klenk

Part I: Philosophical Progress

1. The Many Roads to Progress in Philosophy and Theology, Rik Peels

2. Philosophical Progress and Cumulative Cultural Evolution, Wybo Houkes And Krist Vaesen

3. Ethics in Context, Julia Hermann

4. Conceptual Engineering in Practical Philosophy, Or How Moral Sceptics Can and Should Improve the World, Wouter Kalf

Part II: Philosophical Methods

5. Thought Experiments and the (Ir-)Relevance of Intuitions in Philosophy, Daniel Cohnitz

6. The Methods of Connective Analysis in Analytic Philosophy, Peter Hacker

7. The Criterion of Simplicity in Science and Ethics, Richard Swinburne

8. Three Questions About Systematic Moral Theory, Sophie-Grace Chappell

9. Philosophy of Causation in the Age of Science, Rosa Runhardt

Part III: Societal Relevance

10. Omnivores and Synthesisers. Academic Philosophers as Interdisciplinary Specialists, Michael Klenk

11. Shall We Adapt? Evolutionary Ethics and Climate Change, Jeroen Hopster

12. The Difference of Philosophy, Rozemund Uljée

13. Should Philosophers Begin to Employ New Methods if They Want to Become More Societally Relevant? Ibo Van De Poel

Bibliography

Is there progress in philosophy? Does philosophy have sound methods? Should philosophy be relevant to society? This thought-provoking volume in the philosophy of philosophy presents original answers to these questions. It is a clear testament not only to the breadth and depth of Herman Philipse’s work, but also to his stimulating influence on students, colleagues, and interlocutors. Highly recommended.