|
|
|
|
The Tyranny of Common Sense |
| Section: MODERN THOUGHT / ESSAYS |
| Author: David Papineau |
| Publication: The world & I online |
| Issue Date: 1/1/2007 |
| Size: 4,240 Words, 26,489 Characters |
|
Sometimes I despair of my philosophical colleagues. They are so conservative. I don't mean this in a political sense. In conventional party-political terms, most professional philosophers are probably well to the left of center. As a group, they have a strong sense of fairness and little commitment to the social status quo. But this political open-mindedness doesn't normally carry over to their day jobs. When it comes to philosophical ideas, they are inveterately suspicious of intellectual innovation. In their eyes, a good philosophical theory is one that agrees with the views found on the Clapham omnibus. Few philosophers, in the English-speaking world at least, think of philosophy as a source of radical new ideas. Rather they view it as way of systematizing the everyday reactions of ordi...
. . .
... and hold them up to critical examination. It will be a great pity if contemporary philosophers fail to take up this challenge, simply because of their unreasonable fondness for the familiarities of common sense.
This article has been reprinted from The Philosopher's Magazine with permission from the publisher. Copyright © 2006 The Philosopher's Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
(800 of 26,489 characters)
Do you want to read
the whole article? You can
purchase it here.
Subscriber Login |
|
|
Publication Details
(The World & I Online) |
|
The World & I Online is a
comprehensive academic resource that encompasses a broad range of
articles by scholars and experts in the areas of Global Studies,
Liberal Arts, Fine & Applied Arts, General Science, and Spanish.
Originally published monthly in print as The World & I, our site
includes the complete contents since 1986 and continues to publish
a new issue online each month. |
|
Individual Subscription
|
 |
|
|
|
College Orders (based
on full-time enrollment) |
|
-
2 to 5 Computers |
|
-
Up to 1,000 Students |
|
-
1,001 to 2,500 Students |
|
-
2,501 to 5,000 Students |
|
-
5,001 to 10,000 Students |
|
-
10,001 or More Students |
|
|
|
Public Library Orders |
|
-
2 to 5 Computers |
|
-
6 to 50 Computers |
|
-
51 to 100 Computers |
|
For over 100
computers, call 866-211-6040. |
|
|
