Nelson Goodman (Philosophy Now) - Softcover

Cohnitz, Daniel

9781844650378: Nelson Goodman (Philosophy Now)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1844650375 ISBN 13: 9781844650378

Publisher: Routledge, 2006

Nelson Goodman's distinctive contributions to such diverse areas of philosophy as epistemology, metaphysics, semiotics, logic, philosophy of language, science, and art, and his engagement with the work of Rudolf Carnap and other prominent figures in the analytic tradition, places him at the forefront of the history and development of Anglo-American philosophy in the twentieth century. Although recently the significance of Goodman's work has not been sufficiently appreciated, Daniel Cohnitz and Marcus Rossberg show that much of it is of relevance for contemporary philosophy. This book, the first comprehensive introduction to Goodman's philosophy, examines and assesses his contribution. The book begins with Goodman's New Riddle of Induction, the so-called "Grue"-paradox, which exemplifies his way of dealing with philosophical problems, and thus provides an introduction to Goodman's thought. It then covers his central work, The Structure of Appearance, as well as his philosophy of art, philosophy of language, his conventionalism, constructionalism and relativism. The technical apparatus that is required to understand Goodman's work, in particular his mereology and theory of symbols, is introduced in an accessible manner in the course of the book. The final chapter locates Goodman's position in contemporary debates and discusses recent criticisms.

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Review:

"Measured by the task of presenting Goodman's philosophy not merely in its breadth but also regarding its internal connections, Cohnitz and Rossberg's book convinces by the clarity in its arguments and its excellent readability. The book succeeds in making Goodman's position clear and comprehensible in the demanding debate concerning the basic principles of analytic philosophy and the philosophy of science." - Grazer Philosophische Studien "This book is the first attempt to cover the whole range of Goodman's projects and achievements from epistemology to the general theory of symbols and its application to the arts, the sciences and our everyday worlds. Engagingly written, the text succeeds at once as a highly readable introduction for the beginner and as a stimulating discussion for the initiated." - Oliver R. Scholz, University of Muenster, Germany

Synopsis:

Nelson Goodman's acceptance and critique of certain methods and tenets of positivism, his defence of nominalism and phenomenalism, his formulation of a new riddle of induction, his work on notational systems, and his analysis of the arts place him at the forefront of the history and development of American philosophy in the twentieth-century. However, outside of America, Goodman has been a rather neglected figure. In this first book-length introduction to his work Cohnitz and Rossberg assess Goodman's lasting contribution to philosophy and show that although some of his views may be now considered unfashionable or unorthodox, there is much in Goodman's work that is of significance today. The book begins with the "grue"-paradox, which exemplifies Goodman's way of dealing with philosophical problems. After this, the unifying features of Goodman's philosophy are presented - his constructivism, conventionalism and relativism - followed by an discussion of his central work, The Structure of Appearance and its significance in the analytic tradition.

The following chapters present the technical apparatus that underlies his philosophy, his mereology and semiotics, which provides the background for discussion of Goodman's aesthetics. The final chapter examines in greater depth the presuppositions underlying his philosophy.

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