Nenad Miscevic - Böcker

This collection of essays approaches the problems and strengths of nationalism from a number of philosophical perspectives. The contributors craft a definition of nation/nationalism that emphasizes the cultural and sociopolitical ties uniting members of a country rather than merely their place of origin.

Cognitive science has posed some radical challenges to philosophy in recent years, particularly in the study of the cognitive activities and capacities of individuals. Many philosophers have taken up the challenge, and one result has been the emergence of a radical new wave of relativism, one that assaults the credibility of rationalist views. In this book Nenad Miščević defends naturalistic rationalism against these recent relativist attacks.The book begins with an excellent introduction to cognitive science, and goes on to create a searching defence of human rationality and of a traditional role for truth in epistemology. Miščević presents a critical scrutiny of the relativism championed by Stephen Stich and Paul Churchland and their followers, showing that it not only exaggerates the subversive impact of science, but relies on its links with naturalism for much of its crediblity. His careful dissection of relativist arguments establishes the main outlines of a positive rationalistic picture that is both original and convincing.

Key topics covered include: · Curiosity as a subject in the history of philosophy· Curiosity as a possible ethical virtue· The importance of curiosity about oneself· Whether curiosity is good in itself or only as a means to an end (e.g.

Key topics covered include: · Curiosity as a subject in the history of philosophy· Curiosity as a possible ethical virtue· The importance of curiosity about oneself· Whether curiosity is good in itself or only as a means to an end (e.g.

Finally, the book provides a way to systematize the history of important thought experiments in science and philosophy and thus connects, in an original way, the systematic investigation of experimenting to the historical work of famous thought experiments.

Is reality logical and is logic real? What is the origin of logical intuitions? What is the role of logical structures in the operations of an intelligent mind and in communication? Is the function of logical structure regulative or constitutive or both in concept formation? This volume provides analyses of the logic-reality relationship from different approaches and perspectives. The point of convergence lies in the exploration of the connections between reality – social, natural or ideal – and logical structures employed in describing or discovering it. Moreover, the book connects logical theory with more concrete issues of rationality, normativity and understanding, thus pointing to a wide range of potential applications.  The papers collected in this volume address cutting-edge topics in contemporary discussions amongst specialists. Some essays focus on the role of indispensability considerations in the justification of logical competence, and the wide range of challenges within the philosophy of mathematics. Others present advances in dynamic logical analysis such as extension of game semantics to non-logical part of vocabulary and development of models of contractive speech act.