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As If
Idealization and Ideals
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Kwame Anthony Appiah
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2017
About this book
Idealization is a basic feature of human thought. We proceed “as if” our representations were true, while knowing they are not. Kwame Anthony Appiah defends the centrality of the imagination in science, morality, and everyday life and shows that our best chance for accessing reality is to open our minds to a plurality of idealized depictions.
Reviews
Kwame Anthony Appiah is a writer and thinker of remarkable range… Appiah writes very clearly, and much of this original and absorbing book will be of interest to general readers… Appiah has packed into this short book an impressive amount of original reflection on a number of topics… [A] rich and illuminating book.
-- Thomas Nagel New York Review of Books
-- Thomas Nagel New York Review of Books
Appiah is the rare public intellectual who is also a first-rate analytic philosopher, and the characteristic virtues associated with each of these identities are very much in evidence throughout the book.
-- Thomas Kelly Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
-- Thomas Kelly Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
Following his practice of producing short, concise, well-written, thoughtful books of interest to a broad audience, Appiah again raises important questions.
-- J. Gough Choice
-- J. Gough Choice
Appiah is absolutely right that the notion of idealization is both ripe and suitable for significant philosophical exploration. The subject has been central to political theory, epistemology, and philosophy of science. As If: Idealization and Ideals is the first book to explicitly combine and link all of the discussions in a very valuable—if controversial—contribution.
-- Jason Stanley, Yale University
-- Jason Stanley, Yale University
Topics
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Frontmatter
i -
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Contents
vii -
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Preface
ix -
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1. Useful Untruths: Lessons from Hans Vaihinger
1 -
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2. A Measure of Belief: Lessons from Frank Ramsey
57 -
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3. Political Ideals: Lessons from John Rawls
112 -
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Notes
175 -
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Acknowledgments
211 -
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Index of Names
215
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
November 5, 2018
eBook ISBN:
9780674982178
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
240
eBook ISBN:
9780674982178
