Pengantar Metode-metode Filsafat

by Christopher Daly

Para filsuf, sebagaimana para ilmuwan, membuat klaim-klaim. Namun, jika para ilmuwan biasanya menjelaskan metodenya sebelum ia sampai pada klaim ilmiah tertentu, para filsuf biasa mengajukan klaimnya begitu saja tanpa menjelaskan apa metode yang ia gunakan sehingga ia sampai pada klaim tersebut. Akan tetapi, itu tidak berarti bahwa filsafat tidak punya metode. Filsafat memiliki metode dan buku ini menjelaskan beberapa metode yang biasa digunakan oleh para filsuf—meski hampir tidak pernah dijelaskan secara eksplisit laiknya laporan hasil temuan penelitian ilmiah. Demikianlah, buku ini penting untuk dibaca oleh siapa saja yang ingin tahu filsafat dan/atau ingin berfilsafat.

Buku ini merupakan terbitan kedua dari proyek Urundana Antinomi. Oleh karenanya terbitnya buku ini tidak lepas dari dukungan semua pihak, terutama donatur, baik dalam bentuk material maupun moral. Melalui buku ini kami berharap dapat membuka alternatif produksi pengetahuan yang melulu terpusat pada akumulasi kapital menjadi milik publik. Dengan demikian pengetahuan menjadi lebih mudah diakses oleh semua orang.

Genres: Philosophy

377 pages, ebook

First published July 20, 2010

Reviews

[Conrado · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty solid introduction; each chapter is written in a clear manner, and the author neatly separates the main questions concerning the use of common sense, conceptual analysis, thought experiments, simplicity considerations and scientific inquiry. I wasn't thrilled about all of the chapters (the chapter on simplicity was not that interesting to me, contrary to my expectations), but I suppose they will be sufficiently stimulating to other people interested in metaphilosophy. The recommended reading sections are also pretty interesting.

One problem with the book has to do mainly with the lack of some discussions. The chapter on science in special seems pretty insufficient; it lacks discussion of other naturalistic methods such as genealogical and historical methods; it also lacks discussion about other kinds of naturalism within other areas, such as philosophy of language; it also discusses at no point the position of scientism, which deserves some attention (at least in my opinion, even though I don't endorse it). I guess people could also point out the lack of any discussion of methods used in continental philosophy (phenomenology, deconstruction, Merleau-Ponty's naturalism, etc.), but I was already expecting that, given that the author works mainly in the analytic tradition.

In any case, I woud still recommend this book for anyone interested in questions about the uses of philosophical methods and the nature of philosophical practices in general.

[Lukas op de Beke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit hit and miss, if you ask me. I liked the first two chapters on resp. common sense and philosophical analysis (especially the latter), to a lesser extent the one on simplicity, and the chapter on science started off well, but then became rather unilluminating. The other chapters on thought experiments and explanation were atrocious.