Styles of Thought

David Weissman is Professor of Philosophy at City College of New York and the author of many books, including Lost Souls: The Philosophic Origins of a Cultural Dilemma and The Cage: Must, Should, and Ought from Is, both also published by SUNY Press.

"…Weissman has written a very clear, coherent, and engaging text … [it] represents a helpful and well-argued case for the importance of inquiry, as well as a view that dissents from much of the current philosophical emphasis on interpretation." — American Catholic Philosophical Quarterly "Like all of Weissman's work, this book sparkles with clarity and wit. He takes on one of the major issues facing contemporary thought and culture. What are we to do with the idea that all life is simply interpretation? Weissman's response restores the tradition of American pragmatism to its proper place. He argues that inquiry is not interpretation and that the workings of the world judge the truth of inquiries. He puts interpretation in its proper place in human culture: the function of interpretation is to shore up beliefs, rally our spirits, and make us more confident about our sense of ourselves and our position in the world." — Joseph Grange, President, Metaphysical Society of America"Weissman's description of inquiry and its relation to science and the practical side of life, and of interpretation in relation to values and the development of a holistic point of view are important steps in understanding these two concepts." — Jorge J. E. Gracia, coeditor of Philosophy and Literature in Latin America: A Critical Assessment of the Current Situation

• Introduction1. Two Styles of Explanation: Interpretation and Inquiry InterpretationInquiryDifferent TasksPerspectiveContrary Responses: An ExampleMixed ModesApplicationsValuesMoralityPolitics2. Interpretation: Self and Society Origin and ContextDistortionEmotionAssumptions for a TaxonomyStoriesSocialized InterpretationsEliding Fact and ValueMagic, Myth, and MetaphorFaith and FantasyPhilosophic RationalesTolerance3. Inquiry: Practical Life and Science Context and ObjectivesMeaningTruthAnimadversionsEngaging Other People and ThingsAimsIdealsA Choice4. A Disputed Question Ontological AlternativesThe Dialectic of Untestable IdeasReconciliation5. Imagination ConstructionConstruction RulesVariationDiscipline6. Leading Principles PriorityPrecedentsUseAn Inventory of Leading PrinciplesValuesWhen Practical Life and Science DisagreeCategorial FormAfterword NotesIndex