Nicholas Rescher's ability to discuss difficult philosophical issues in a clear and elegant fashion is well known. These three books resonate with the breadth and depth of understanding and the engaging prose he brings to all of his work. Together, these books present an integrated and unified approach to the key issues of epistemology. However, each stands as a self-sufficient work; allowing readers to approach these books in whatever order best suits their interests. Epistemic Logic examines the nature of knowledge, the conceptual ramifications of the idea, and the reach and limits of what we know. Cognitive Harmony considers why it is crucial to develop our knowledge in a systematic way, and how this facet of knowledge is a key factor for its acquisition and formation. Realism and Pragmatic Epistemology explores the ways we use knowledge, and how it is the successful application of knowledge that at once substantiates and objectifies the things we believe we know. This novel approach to epistemological discourse explains the complex but crucial role that systematization plays - not just for the organization of what we know, but also for its validation. Cognitive Harmony argues for a new conception of the process philosophers generally call induction. Relying on the root definition of harmony, a coherent unification of component parts (systemic integrity) in such a way that the final object can successfully accomplish what it was meant to do (evaluative positivity), Rescher discusses the role of harmony in cognitive contexts, the history of cognitive harmony, and the various features it has in producing human knowledge. The book ends on the issue of philosophy and the sort of harmony required of philosophical systems.
| ISBN: | 9780822942436 |
| Publication date: | 4th April 2005 |
| Author: | Nicholas Rescher |
| Publisher: | University of Pittsburgh Press |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 118 pages |
| Genres: |
Philosophy: epistemology and theory of knowledge |