Grand theories and everyday beliefs: science, philosophy, and their histories

This unconventional book by a distinguished historian of philosophy tells the story of how humans became rational beings. After a Darwinian-type account of what beliefs are and how they arose in animals acting to cope with their environments--"low beliefs," virtually all of which are true--Wallace Matson here shows how the invention of language led to imagination and thence to beliefsformed in other ways ("high beliefs"), not true though thought to be, which could be consolidated into mythologies, the first Grand Unified Theories of Everything. Science began when Thales of Miletus produced a GrandTheory based on low ("everyday") beliefs. Matson traces the course of scienceand philosophy through seven centuries to their sudden and violent displacement by Christianity with its Grand Theory of the old type. Against the widespread opinion that modern philosophy has slowly but completelyemancipated itself from bondage to theology, he shows how remnants from the medieval 'interlude' still lurk unnoticed in the purportedly neutral notions oflogical possibility, possible worlds, and laws as commands, to the detriment of the natural harmony between science and philosophy, including ethics. Accessibly written, this is a book for all who are interested in the foundations of21st century thought and who wonder where the cracks might be. INDICE: Chapter 1. Introduction. PART ONE. BEFORE MILETUS Chapter 2. A Brief History of Coping. Chapter 3. Language Chapter 4. High and Low Beliefs Chapter 5. The 'Will to Believe' Chapter 6. Eden Chapter 7. Babylon PART TWO. MILETUS TO ALEXANDRIA Chapter 8. Miletus: the Invention of Science Chapter 9. Anaximander and Anaximenes Chapter 10. Science and Philosophy Come to Italy Chapter 11. Athens I. Chapter 12. Atomism Chapter 13. Athens II: Plato Chapter 14. Athens III: Aristotle Chapter 15. Alexandria Chapter 16. Beliefs About Believers PART THREE. THE LEGACY OF CHRISTIANITY Chapter 17. Jerusalem Collides with Athens Chapter 18. Cartesianism Chapter 19. Miletus Preserved I: Hobbes Chapter20. Institutions Chapter 21. Miletus Preserved II: Spinoza Chapter 22. The Strange Case of David Hume Chapter 23. Ethics Without Edification. Chapter 24. L'Envoi Chapter 25. Conclusion?

• ISBN: 978-0-19-981269-1
• Editorial: Oxford University
• Encuadernacion: Cartoné
• Páginas: 288
• Fecha Publicación: 05/01/2012
• Nº Volúmenes: 1
• Idioma: Inglés