Synthese Library508 A Philosophy for the Future

To overcome the present impasse of philosophy, this book proposes a view of philosophy as acquisition of knowledge, according to which philosophy can open new ways to knowledge and lead to the birth of new sciences. This book offers an alternative to the present prevailing approach to philosophy. For, there have never been so many professional philosophers as there are today, yet philosophy has never been so irrelevant. This is because according to today’s dominant philosophy, namely analytic philosophy, philosophy does not advance knowledge, but only aims to understand what we already know. As a result, philosophy deals with artifactual puzzles of no abiding significance. This contrasts with the fact that, at some stages of its historical development, philosophy has played a significant role in the advancement of knowledge. To overcome the present impasse of philosophy, this book proposes a view of philosophy as acquisition of knowledge, according to which philosophy can open new ways to knowledge and lead to the birth of new sciences.