Rescher, N: Metaphilosophy

The definitive mission of metaphilosophy is to facilitate an understanding of how philosophy works-the aim of the enterprise, the instrumental and procedural resources for its work, and the prospect of its success. Nicholas Rescher unites two facets of metaphilosophy to show that historical perspective and forward-thinking normative, or systematic, metaphilosophy cannot be independent of one another. The descriptive, or historical, metaphilosophy provides an account of what has been thought regarding the conduct of philosophical inquiry, and the prescriptive, or normative, metaphilosophy which deliberates about what is to be thought regarding the conduct of philosophizing. Rescher argues that metaphilosophy forms a part of philosophy itself. This is a unique feature of the discipline since the philosophy of biology is not a part of biology and the philosophy of mathematics is not a part of mathematics. Ultimately, the salient features of philosophizing in general-including the inherently controversial and discordant nature of philosophical doctrines-are also bound to afflict metaphilosophy. Thus, only by a careful analysis of the central issues can a plausible view of the enterprise be developed.Metaphilosophy: Philosophy in Philosophical Perspective challenges the static, compartmentalized view of metaphilosophy, providing insight for scholars and students of all areas of philosophy.

Nicholas Rescher unites two facets of metaphilosophy to show that the historical perspective and forward-thinking normative, or systematic, approach are, together, an integral component of philosophy itself.

Chapter 1: The Mission of PhilosophyChapter 2: Systematizing the Data of PhilosophyChapter 3: Philosophical ExpositionChapter 4: The Taxonomy of PhilosophyChapter 5: Some Principles of PhilosophyChapter 6: Philosophical Method: Apories and Evaluative HarmonizationChapter 7: Philosophical Legitimation via SystematizationChapter 8: Philosophical RefutationChapter 9: Coming to Terms with Philosophical DissensusChapter 10: Can Philosophy Be Objective?Chapter 11: Influence among PhilosophersChapter 12: Does Philosophy Make Progress?Chapter 13: On Philosophy as a Guide to Life?Chapter 14: The Philosophy Industry in the USAChapter 15: How the History of Philosophy Relates to Philosophy Itself?Chapter 16: Interpreting Philosophical TextsChapter 17:How to Think Like a Philosopher