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20This book collects 13 papers that explore Wittgenstein's philosophy throughout the different stages of his career. The author writes from the viewpoint of critical rationalism. The tone of his analysis is friendly and appreciative yet critical. Of these papers, seven are on the background to the philosophy of Wittgenstein. Five papers examine different aspects of it: one on the philosophy of young Wittgenstein, one on his transitional period, and the final three on the philosophy of mature Wittg…Read more
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15Magic as PsychotherapyPhilosophy of the Social Sciences 49 (6): 528-533. 2019.Philosophy of the Social Sciences, Ahead of Print.
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44On September 17, 1994, Karl Popper died at the age of 92.He was described as the official opposition of the “ Vienna Circle”, the philosophical club which in the inter-war period was glamorous and which espoused the then popular doctrine of logical positivism, so-called. His relations with that club were friendly-hostile, to use the term with which he liked to characterize the relations between scientific researchers. He is the last of that generation (unless it is Carl G. Hempel, who, however, …Read more
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37Knowledge personal or socialPhilosophy of the Social Sciences 28 (4): 522-551. 1998.Karl Popper's methodology can be seen as the situational logic of research. Popper called his method "Epistemology without a Knowing Subject." It was dismissed as metaphysical by those who refuse to give up an ideal knowing subject (a perfect human inductive processor). This article surveys the failure of modem discussions of this ideal, from the earliest (the writings of Sir Francis Bacon) to the latest (Kripke). The knowing subject exits at last, but leaves behind interesting results. The idea…Read more
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Kurt Salamun, ed., Karl Popper und die Philosophie des Kritischen Rationalismus. Zum 85. Geburstag von Karl R. Popper. Studien zur österreichischen Philosophie, Band 14 (review)Philosophy in Review 9 (9): 378-381. 1989.
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100In Wittgenstein’s ShadowPhilosophy of the Social Sciences 40 (2): 325-339. 2010.Marc Lange offers a stale anthology that reflects the sad state of affairs in the camp of analytic philosophy. It is representative in a few respects, even in its maltreatment of Russell, Wittgenstein, and Popper. Despite its neglect of Wittgenstein, it shows again that Wittgenstein is the patron saint of the analytic school despite the fact that it does not abide by his theory of metaphysics as inherently meaningless
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58Karl R. Popper is “the outstanding philosopher of the twentieth century” (Bryan Magee), even “the greatest thinker of the [twentieth] century” (Gellner). He felt affinity with thinkers of the Age of Reason and developed a new version of rationalism: critical rationalism. As a champion of science and of democracy he was the most influential philosopher of the post-WWII era. He was a close follower of Bertrand Russell and of Albert Einstein in that all three advocated problem-oriented fallibilism …Read more
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13I. the place of Sparks in the world of blahInquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 24 (4). 1981.
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19Irrationalism TodayDialectica 36 (2‐3): 127-146. 1982.SummaryAccording to classical rationalism prejudiced people cannot conduct proper research. This is refuted by cases of prejudiced and even Nazi scientists. According to classical rationalism all error is prejudice. This was refuted when crucial experiment between Newton and Einstein favored Einstein. Contemporary popular irrationalists claim crucial experiments are impossible. Their ability to convince rests on the cowardice of the leadership of science which fails to admit openly the present n…Read more
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47Introducing Philosophy of Social SciencePhilosophy of the Social Sciences 44 (4): 536-550. 2014.This book succeeds in being nice all round. Its means are slight distortions of issues in dispute. A preferable approach would be to inform readers of the sharp rifts in the field and their ramifications and then to challenge beginners to think about how to deal with the situation
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1In search of rationality—A personal reportIn Karl R. Popper & Paul Levinson (eds.), In Pursuit of Truth: Essays on the Philosophy of Karl Popper on the Occasion of His 80th Birthday, Harvester Press. pp. 237--48. 1982.
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54Discussion: Analogies as GeneralizationsPhilosophy of Science 31 (4): 351-356Analogies have been traditionally recognized as a proper part of inductive procedures, akin to generalizations. Seldom, however, have they been presented as superior to generalizations, in the attainability of a higher degree of certitude for their conclusions or in other respects. Though Bacon definitely preferred analogy to generalization1, the tradition seems to me to go the other way-until the recent publication of works by Mary B. Hesse ([2], pp.21-28 and passim) and, perhaps, R. Harr6 ([1]…Read more
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18Introducing Philosophy of Social ScienceRosenbergAlexanderPhilosophy of Social Science, fourth edition. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2012. Pp. xi + 310. $40 (review)Philosophy of the Social Sciences 44 (4): 536-550. 2014.This book succeeds in being nice all round. Its means are slight distortions of issues in dispute. A preferable approach would be to inform readers of the sharp rifts in the field and their ramifications and then to challenge beginners to think about how to deal with the situation.
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21Imagination and reasonBehavioral and Brain Sciences 30 (5-6): 453-453. 2007.Byrne's book is intended to explain why people imagine the things they do when they create alternatives to reality. Two fruitful areas of further research are: (1) How can her approach explain dreams and daydreams? (2) What is the developmental time course of the child's understanding of reality and imagination?
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39Ixmann and the gavagaiJournal for General Philosophy of Science / Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 19 (1): 103-116. 1988.Dirk Koppelberg is an ambitious new arrival to take notice of. His first book, "Die Aufhebung der analytischen Philosophic: Quine als Synthese von Carnap und Neurath" (Suhrkamp, 1987, pp. 416) is extremely detailed and comprehensive. In succinct 300 pages or so (plus 40 pages of notes and 30 pages of (not too successful) bibliography) he manages to touch on W. V. Quine's diverse concerns, to synthesize them, to relate them to their..
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19How Technology Aids and Impedes the Growth of SciencePSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1982. 1982.The vision of Horace, combining the sweet and the useful, is an expression of a sense of abundance. It came first and was than supported by Bacon's vision of a science-based technology. Later this was further backed by classical liberalism and by metaphysical progressivism. That technology may impede and even destroy science is obvious. Yet the danger is overlooked--with the aid of the vision of Horace and of neo-conservative (Popperian) politics and of neo-reactionary (Kuhnian) politics of scie…Read more
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8Book Review : Shlomo Deshen, Charles S. Liebman, and Moshe Shokeid, eds., Israeli Judaism: The Sociology of Religion in Israel, Studies of Israeli Society, Volume VII. Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, NJ, 1995. Pp. xiv + 386. $44.95 (cloth), $24.95 (paper (review)Philosophy of the Social Sciences 28 (3): 471-477. 1998.
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149Heidegger made simple (and offensive)Philosophy of the Social Sciences 34 (3): 423-431. 2004.presents Heidegger as a devout mystic who viewed the Nazi Party as the sacred vessel of a divine messageeven though, the author adds, his religion is secular and so it has no divinity and no immortal soul. Rickey sees him as a utopian. This makes some sense: the unique in the Shoah involves the unique descent of a highly cultured, enlightened nation to the rock bottom of barbarism. Rickys text belies his effort to exonerate Heidegger. Key Words: Rickey Heidegger secular religion barbaris…Read more
Joseph Agassi
York University
D'Annunzio University of Chieti–Pescara
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D'Annunzio University of Chieti–PescaraOther
Areas of Specialization
Science, Logic, and Mathematics |
Metaphysics and Epistemology |
History of Western Philosophy |
Philosophy, Misc |