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Why?: The Philosophy Behind the Question
A philosopher explores the many dimensions of a beguilingly simple question.
Why did triceratops have horns? Why did World War I occur? Why does Romeo love Juliet? And, most importantly, why ask why? Through an analysis of these questions and others, philosopher Philippe Huneman describes the different meanings of "why," and how those meanings can, and should (or should not), be conflated.
As Huneman outlines, there are three basic meanings of the cause of an event, the reason of a belief, and the reason why I do what I do (the purpose). Each of these meanings, in turn, impacts how we approach knowledge in a wide array of science, history, psychology, and metaphysics. Exhibiting a rare combination of conversational ease and intellectual rigor, Huneman teases out the hidden dimensions of questions as seemingly simple as "Why did Mickey Mouse open the refrigerator?," or as seemingly unanswerable as "Why am I me?" In doing so, he provides an extraordinary tour of canonical and contemporary philosophical thought, from Plato and Aristotle, through Descartes and Spinoza, to Elizabeth Anscombe and Ruth Millikan, and beyond.
Of course, no proper reckoning with the question "why?" can afford not to acknowledge its limits, which are the limits, and the ends, of reason itself. Huneman thus concludes with a provocative elaboration of what Kant called the "natural need for metaphysics," the unallayed instinct we have to ask the question even when we know there can be no unequivocal answer.
Why did triceratops have horns? Why did World War I occur? Why does Romeo love Juliet? And, most importantly, why ask why? Through an analysis of these questions and others, philosopher Philippe Huneman describes the different meanings of "why," and how those meanings can, and should (or should not), be conflated.
As Huneman outlines, there are three basic meanings of the cause of an event, the reason of a belief, and the reason why I do what I do (the purpose). Each of these meanings, in turn, impacts how we approach knowledge in a wide array of science, history, psychology, and metaphysics. Exhibiting a rare combination of conversational ease and intellectual rigor, Huneman teases out the hidden dimensions of questions as seemingly simple as "Why did Mickey Mouse open the refrigerator?," or as seemingly unanswerable as "Why am I me?" In doing so, he provides an extraordinary tour of canonical and contemporary philosophical thought, from Plato and Aristotle, through Descartes and Spinoza, to Elizabeth Anscombe and Ruth Millikan, and beyond.
Of course, no proper reckoning with the question "why?" can afford not to acknowledge its limits, which are the limits, and the ends, of reason itself. Huneman thus concludes with a provocative elaboration of what Kant called the "natural need for metaphysics," the unallayed instinct we have to ask the question even when we know there can be no unequivocal answer.
- GenresPhilosophy
290 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2023
2 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Philippe Huneman
31 books3 followersPhilippe Huneman is CNRS Research Professor and Professor of Philosophy at LInstitut dHistoire et de Philosophie des Science et des Technique, Université Paris I SorbonneWalsh: Canada Research Chair in Philosophy of Biology in the Department of Philosophy, Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology and the Department of Ecology and evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 24, 2024
Surprised at the low ratings for this fantastic book by French philosopher Philipe Huneman. It explores the philosophy behind the question "Why," starting with how we as humans are innately curious about the world but are conditioned in our early years to stop asking questions. "Why is the sky blue? Why is the color blue, blue?" At young ages some answers are beyond are capacity for rationale understanding. But that doesn't mean the real answers can't be learned. We must challenge our assumptions. Never stop asking why. There is always (usually) an answer. Even when it doesn't seem so.
Each chapter starts with a "Why" question: Why does Romeo love Juliet? Why did World War I start (hint: it goes beyond the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand)? Why am I me? The most intriguing chapters use metaphysics in their explanations.
I'd recommend this book to any journalist, writer, or curious person. There's also a podcast with Huneman about the book; so if you're interested in "Why?" but not quite committed to buy it, go search the show on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts to get a taste.
Each chapter starts with a "Why" question: Why does Romeo love Juliet? Why did World War I start (hint: it goes beyond the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand)? Why am I me? The most intriguing chapters use metaphysics in their explanations.
I'd recommend this book to any journalist, writer, or curious person. There's also a podcast with Huneman about the book; so if you're interested in "Why?" but not quite committed to buy it, go search the show on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts to get a taste.
Displaying 1 of 1 review