Putting philosophy to work : inquiry and its place in culture-essays on science, religion, law, literature, and life / by Susan Haack.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Haack, Susan.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Philosophy.

Applied philosophy.

Physical Description:

345 pages ; 23 cm

Edition:

Expanded edition.

Place of Publication:

Amherst, NY : Prometheus Books, 2013.

Summary:

This engaging and wide-ranging collection of essays is informed and unified by the conviction that philosophy can, and should, engage with real-world issues. Susan Haack's keen analytical skills and will chosen illustrations illuminate a diverse range of cultural questions-vital issues about science, society, religion, law, and literature, even about what makes a life meaningful. Her direct style and wry sense of humor make complex ideas and subtle distinctions accessible to serious readers, whatever their discipline or particular interests. Putting Philosophy to Work will appeal not only to philosophers, but also to thoughtful scientists, economists, legal thinkers, historians, literary scholars; and humanists. This expanded edition includes several new essays: a devastating critique of Karl Popper's highly (and dangerously) influential philosophy of science; a searching and thought-provoking analysis of scientism; and a groundbreaking paper on "academic ethics in a preposterous environment" that every professor, and would-be professor, should read. Whether she is telling the "sad, sleazy saga" of a drug company's efforts to suppress the results of an unfavorable clinical trial, reflecting on intellectual virtues and vices, or commenting wryly on the present state of philosophy, Haack tackles big issues with the clarity, verve, and wit her readers have come to expect. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Staying for an Answer: The Untidy Process of Groping for Truth 35

2 The Same, Only Different 47

3 The Unity of Truth and the Plurality of Truths 53

4 Coherence, Consistency, Cogency, Congruity, Cohesiveness, &c.: Remain Calm! Don't Go Overboard! 69

5 Not Cynicism, but Synechism: Lessons from Classical Pragmatism 83

6 Science, Economics, "Vision" 97

7 Six Signs of Scientism 105

8 The Integrity of Science: What It Means, Why It Matters 121

9 Scientific Secrecy and "Spin": The Sad, Sleazy Saga of the Trials of Remune 141

10 Truth and Justice, Inquiry and Advocacy, Science and Law 153

11 Trial and Error: The Supreme Court's Philosophy of Science 165

12 Just Say "No" to Logical Negativism 179

13 An Epistemologist Among the Epidemiologists 195

14 Fallibilism and Faith, Naturalism and the Supernatural, Science and Religion 199

15 The Ideal of Intellectual Integrity, in Life and Literature 209

16 After My Own Heart: Dorothy Sayers's Feminism 221

17 Worthwhile Lives 229

18 Why I Am Not an Oxymoron 233

19 Formal Philosophy?-A Plea for Pluralism 235

20 Out of Step: Academic Ethics in a Preposterous Environment 251.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781616144937

1616144939

OCLC:

827852460