Chapter V/4. THE POWER OF IDEALS

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Preface ix
4. NICHOLAS RESCHER’S SYSTEMATIC PHILOSOPHY 1
5. Part I. THEORY OF INQUIRY
6. Introduction 19
7. Chapter I/1. PLAUSIBILITY AND PRESUMPTION 27
8. Chapter I/2. THE PURSUIT OF TRUTH: COHERENTIST CRITERIOLOGY 55
9. Chapter I/3. THE CULTURAL EVOLUTION OF COMMUNAL PRACTICES IN INQUIRY 75
10. Chapter I/4. ON COGNITIVE ECONOMICS 85
11. Chapter I/5. AGAINST COGNITIVE RELATIVISM 105
12. Part II. LOGIC AND PARADOX
13. Introduction 123
14. Chapter II/1. VAGRANT PREDICATES AND UNANSWERABLE QUESTIONS 147
15. Chapter II/2. TRUTH, FACT, AND THE LIMITS OF KNOWLEDGE 159
16. Chapter II/3. APORETICS 169
17. Chapter II/4. PARADOX RESOLUTION 183
18. Chapter II/5. REIFICATION FALLACIES AND INAPPROPRIATE TOTALITIES 197
19. Chapter II/6. PLURALITY QUANTIFICATION 219
20. Part III. SCIENCE AND ITS LIMITS
21. Introduction 225
22. Chapter III/1. THE SYSTEMATICITY OF NATURE 247
23. Chapter III/2. THE COMPLEXITY AND COGNITIVE INEXHAUSTIBILITY OF NATURE 263
24. Chapter III/3. THE UNPREDICTABILITY OF FUTURE SCIENCE 291
25. Chapter III/4. TECHNOLOGICAL ESCALATION AND THE EXPLORATION MODEL OF NATURAL SCIENCE 307
26. Chapter III/5. THE LAW OF LOGARITHMIC RETURNS 317
27. Chapter III/6. THE UNREALIZABILITY OF PERFECTED SCIENCE 331
28. Part IV. METAPHYSICS
29. Introduction 355
30. Chapter IV/1. PRAGMATIC REALISM: A PRACTICALISTIC PERSPECTIVE ON PHILOSOPHICAL REALISM 365
31. Chapter IV/2. IDEALISM 389
32. Chapter IV/3. PRAGMATISM 405
33. Chapter IV/4 OPTIMALISM AND AXIOLOGICAL METAPHYSICS 425
34. Part V. ETHICAL AND SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY
35. Introduction 455
36. Chapter V/1. MORAL RELATIVISM: ARE THERE MORAL UNIVERSALS? 471
37. Chapter V/2. RATIONALITY AND MORAL OBLIGATION 509
38. Chapter V/3. IS CONSENSUS REQUIRED FOR A RATIONAL SOCIAL ORDER? 521
39. Chapter V/4. THE POWER OF IDEALS 535
40. Part VI. PHILOSOPHICAL SYSTEMATIZATION
41. Introduction 547
42. Chapter VI/1. ON PHILOSOPHICAL SYSTEMATIZATION: PLAUSIBILITY AND THE HEGELIAN VISION 555
43. Chapter VI/2. WHY PHILOSOPHIZING MUST BE SYSTEMATIC (THE HOLISTIC NATURE OF PHILOSOPHY) 585
44. Chapter VI/3. PHILOSOPHY AND PARADOX 603
45. Chapter VI/4. HOLISTIC EXPLANATION AND THE IDEA OF A GRAND UNIFIED THEORY 623
46. BOOKS BY NICHOLAS RESCHER 633