What Philosophy Is

Description:
What do we mean when we talk about philosophy today? How does philosophy relate to science, to politics, to literature? What methods does the modern philosopher use, and how does philosophy progress? Does philosophy differ from place to place? What can philosophy do for us? And what can it not do? This book, with contributions from such exciting and influential contemporary philosophers as Simon Blackburn, Michael Friedman, Simon Critchley and Manuel DeLanda, offers us a fascinating picture of the character and methods of philosophy; its possibilities and its limitations. And of course, it is itself a piece of philosophy in action, not merely offering us answers but also prompting us to ask further questions and to philosophise for ourselves.

Table of Contents:
Foreword; Simon Blackburn; Editors' Introduction; Political Philosophy; Matt Matravers / Julie Kuhiken; Philosophy and Science; Bence Nanay / Manuel DeLanda / Michael Friedman; Philosophising from Different Places; Bruce Janz / Juan Cristobel Revueltas; Philosophical Method; Ed Brandon / Julian Baggini / Simon Glendinning / Eran Dorfman; Philosophy and Literature; Simon Critchley / Evgenia Cherkasova; Therapeutic Philosophy; David Rosner / Havi Carel; Professional Philosophy; Patricia Sayre / David Gamez; Epilogue: The Limits of Philosophy? Hilary Lawson; Glossary; Index; Each section contains a short introduction by the editor, in which they provide some background material on the topic and a brief discussion of the contributors' writings.