This Thing Called Reason
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This Thing Called Reason
Author: Benjamin K. Akih
language: en
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Release Date: 2025-05-06
This book offers a conceptual analysis of reason, proposing a plausible theory to resolve persistent vagueness in the historical use of the concept. The proposed theory leads to the view that reason is fundamentally subjective and dependent on non-inferential matters of faith. Despite the inherent subjectivity, we can arrive at a consensus in reasoning exercises because we all participate in a universal minimum religion that grounds all reasoning. True atheism is therefore impossible. This analysis bears on debates about the relation between faith and reason as well as the relation between ethics based on reason and ethics based on sentiments. The book further shows that this new and original view of religiously constrained reason ought to equally inform our thinking about applied ethics, such as politics, law, and economics.
What is this thing called Philosophy?
What is this thing called Philosophy? is the definitive textbook for all who want a thorough introduction to the field. It introduces philosophy using a question-led approach that reflects the discursive nature of the discipline. Edited by Duncan Pritchard, each section is written by a high-profile contributor focusing on a key area of philosophy, and contains three or four question-based chapters offering an accessible point of engagement. The core areas of philosophy covered are: Ethics Political Philosophy Aesthetics Epistemology Philosophy of Mind Metaphysics Philosophy of Science Philosophy of Religion The Meaning of Life. The accompanying Routledge companion website features valuable online resources for both instructors and students including links to audio and video material, multiple-choice questions, interactive flashcards, essay questions and annotated further reading. This is the essential textbook for students approaching the study of philosophy for the first time.
What is this Thing Called Metaethics?
Are moral standards relative to cultures? Are there any moral facts? What is goodness? If there are moral facts how do we learn about them? These are all questions in metaethics, the branch of ethics that investigates the status of morality, the nature of ethical facts, and the meaning of ethical statements. To the uninitiated it can appear abstract and far removed from its two more concrete cousins, ethical theory and applied ethics, yet it is one of the fastest-growing and most exciting areas of ethics. What is this thing called Metaethics? demystifies this important subject and is ideal for students coming to it for the first time. Beginning with a brief historical overview of metaethics and the development of a "conceptual toolkit," Matthew Chrisman introduces and assesses the following key topics: • ethical reality: including questions about naturalism and non-naturalism, moral facts, and the distinction between realism and antirealism • ethical language: does language represent reality? What mental states are expressed by moral statements? • ethical psychology: the Humean theory of motivation and the connection between moral judgement and motivation • ethical knowledge: intuitionist and coherentist moral epistemologies, and theories of objectivity and relativism in metaethics • new directions in metaethics, including non-traditional theories and extensions to metaepistemology and metanormative theory. Additional features such as chapter summaries, questions of understanding, and a glossary make this an ideal introduction to metaethics.