Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

The practice of reflective thought called philosophy has few geographical or temporal boundaries. Almost from the beginning of recorded history, and in almost all cultures and nations, individuals have engaged in thinking about the nature of ultimate reality, the human condition, and basic values. Such philosophical reflections have a degree of abstraction that sets them apart from more practical, everyday concerns and from the enterprise we now call science. Philosophical issues are more fundamental, dealing not with individual or generalized facts but with core concepts, essential categories of being and knowledge, basic presuppositions, and ultimate moral and social principles. The line separating philosophy and religion is more difficult to draw, since philosophers and religious thinkers often address similar concerns, and the relationship between the two disciplines is seen differently in divergent philosophical traditions. Indeed, the nature of philosophy itself is a philosophical issue and a matter of dispute, and conceptions of philosophy vary with the schools of thought that embody them. The goal of this book is to present the thoughts and theories of the major figures in the dominant philosophical traditions throughout history. To be sure, most of the essays are on “Western” thinkers, which label encompasses European, American, and other English-speaking philosophers. ... log in or subscribe to read full text