An Introduction to Historical Epistemology: The Authority of Knowledge

by Mary Tiles, James E. Tiles, Jim Tiles

Book Overview

This introduction to the theory of knowledge argues for the continuing relevance of philosophical debates about knowledge by connecting them to issues of authority. The discussion takes the form of an essay in historical epistemology which treats the philosopher-politician Frnacis Bacon as its pivotal figure. This affords a non-Cartesian perspective on the transition to modern philosophy from which the distinctive configurations of the Cartesian framework...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0631175156
• ISBN13: 9780631175155
• Release Date: August 1993
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Singular history of philosophy

This is an accomplished book on the history of philosophy from an epistemological perspective. The authors argue that we cannot evade epistemological thinking. Any methaphysics pertains to some kind of epistemic presumptions. On the other hand, an epistemic philosophy must further some metaphysical views. Accordingly, the authors don't believe in the enterprise of analytic philosophy, namely to circumvent epistemology altogether. The epistemic positions of the most important philosophers are covered, from Plato to Wittgenstein. The book centers around Bacon's notion of Idols (Idols of the Theater, etc.) and uses these to throw light upon the problems of knowledge. This book presents a critique of different standpoints, so it's not simply a depiction of the different schools. For instance, the universal Cartesian standpoint of today (empiricism versus rationality) is contrasted with the curious epistemology of Giambattista Vico.Mats W