Philosophy as Criticism

Brian Davies is Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University, New York, USA. Dr. Mario von der Ruhr is Lecturer in Philosophy at Swansea University. He is an Associate Editor of the journal Philosophical Investigations, and co-editor (with D.Z. Phillips) of the series Claremont Studies in the Philosophy of Religion. Ilham Dilman (1930-2003) was Professor Emeritus and Honorary Fellow, Department of Philosophy, University of Wales Swansea. He was perhaps most well known for his contributions to moral philosophy and psychology, and in particular on the works of Wittgenstein and Freud.

"Ilham Dilman's last book of essays, written when he was dying, is, like all his works, honest, sincere, and written with luminous clarity. When he learnt that he had terminal cancer, he selected five books by five leading philosophers of the day, read them carefully and wrote critical essays about them. Philosophy, Dilman held, is above all, criticism. This is patent in these essays on Dennett, Searle, Foot, Davidson and Nozick. Each essay consists in a meticulous outline of the salient claims of the book under consideration, followed by critical observations. Dilman's final reflections are often profound, sometimes very touching, and always worth reading. His voice will be missed." -- Peter Hacker, Emeritus Research Fellow, St John's College, University of Oxford

• Editorial Preface; Introduction; 1. Dennett's Explanation of Consciousness; 2. John Searle's Defence of Realism; 3. Philippa Foot on Natural Goodness; 4. Donald Davidson I: Human Agency, Action and Intention; 5. Donald Davidson II: A Philosophy of Psychology, The Mental and the Physical; 6. Robert Nozick's Philosophical Meditations; Closing Remarks; Bibliography.