Is Truth an Idealization of Rational Acceptability?
Philosopher Hilary Putnam explains how his thinking has changed from the time when he stated that truth is an idealized rational acceptability. He now believes that attempting to find one characterization of truth that c..
Is the Real World Independent of Our Minds? (Part 1)
Philosopher Hilary Putnam talks about whether or not the external world is independent of our minds. At one time he made the statement that there is no real world independent of our conceptual system--a statement which h..
Is the Real World Independent of Our Minds? (Part 2)
Philosopher Hilary Putnam continues his discussion of whether or not the external world is independent of our minds. At one time he made the statement that there is no real world independent of our conceptual system--a s..
Is the Real World Independent of Our Minds? (Part 3)
Philosopher Hilary Putnam continues his discussion of whether or not the external world is independent of our minds. At one time he made the statement that there is no real world independent of our conceptual system--a s..
John Rawls and Justice
Philosopher Martha Nussbaum laments what she calls the misunderstanding and misrepresentation of late philosopher John Rawls by communitarians and "anti-liberals of all sorts."
Justice: From Aristotle to Rawls
Philosopher Martha Nussbaum observes that, at first glance, it's difficult to find similarities between the views of justice expressed by Aristotle and John Rawls. Aristotle's perspective is based on what's good, while R..
Kant and the Distinction Between Scheme and Reality
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about the distinction Immanuel Kant made between reality and scheme, a word used to describe "...the conceptual organization which we either socially or individually bring to raw sensation i..
Karl Popper and Falsification
Philosopher Ian Hacking talks about Karl Popper's view that for a "bold guess" or hypothesis to be scientically valid, it must be testable or "falsifiable."
Kierkegaard and the Infinite
Philosopher Hubert Dreyfus talks about Kierkegaard's views of the self, observing that for Kierkegaard, one's whole world is organized in terms of what is relevant, significant and important, and that is tied up with one..
Kierkegaard: The Temporal and the Eternal
Philosopher Hubert Dreyfus continues his discussion of Kierkegaaard, whose views embody what Kierkegaard calls the temporal and the eternal. The temporal refers to living day-to-day in time. The eternal refers to one's u..