Preface; Introduction; Part I. The Early Modern Period: 1. Descartes: metaphysics in the service of science; 2. Spinoza: metaphysics in the service of ethics; 3. Leibniz: metaphysics in the service of theodicy; 4. Hume: metaphysics committed to the flames?; 5. Kant: the possibility, scope, and limits of metaphysics; 6. Fichte: transcendentalism versus naturalism; 7. Hegel: transcendentalism-cum-naturalism; or, absolute idealism; Part II. The Late Modern Period I: The Analytic Tradition: 8. Frege: sense under scrutiny; 9. The early Wittgenstein: the possibility, scope, and limits of sense; or, sense, senselessness, and nonsense; 10. The later Wittgenstein: bringing words back from their metaphysical to their everyday use; 11. Carnap: the elimination of metaphysics?; 12. Quine: the ne plus ultra of naturalism; 13. Lewis: metaphysics in the service of philosophy; 14. Dummett: the logical basis of metaphysics; Part III. The Late Modern Period II: Non-Analytic Traditions: 15. Nietzsche: sense under scrutiny again; 16. Bergson: metaphysics as pure creativity; 17. Husserl: making sense of making sense; 18. Heidegger: letting being be; 19. Collingwood: metaphysics as history; 20. Derrida: metaphysics deconstructed?; 21. Deleuze: something completely different; Conclusion.
This book charts the evolution of metaphysics since Descartes and provides a compelling case for why metaphysics matters.
A. W. Moore is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Oxford and Tutorial Fellow of St Hugh's College, Oxford. He is the author of three previous books: The Infinite (1990); Points of View (1997); and Noble in Reason, Infinite in Faculty: Themes and Variations in Kant's Moral and Religious Philosophy (2003). He is also the editor or co-editor of several anthologies, and his articles and reviews have appeared in numerous other scholarly publications.
'This huge book is an extraordinary piece of work, showing a quite
exceptional range of learning and depth of thought. Moore attempts
nothing less than a synoptic account of the ways in which leading
philosophers since Descartes have viewed metaphysics. But the book
is not a survey: a strong narrative thread, plus a novel and
powerful conception of the task of metaphysics, links Moore's
discussion of such diverse thinkers as Hume, Kant, Frege,
Nietzsche, Lewis and Deleuze (to take only a few examples) into a
coherent picture of the development of the subject. The book is
written with Moore's customary clarity and panache, full of
penetrating insights, lucid exposition of difficult ideas, and
provocative challenges to the conventional wisdom. There will be
something here to stimulate everyone interested in metaphysics,
whatever their philosophical background. The Evolution of Modern
Metaphysics is a quite unique work: original, bold, and
fascinating.' Tim Crane, University of Cambridge
'Not since Russell's History of Western Philosophy has a major
Anglophone thinker attempted to make accessible sense of the many
kinds of obscurity that philosophers have contrived to produce in
their efforts to write under the title of 'metaphysics'. Russell's
book hails from a generation which was famously dismissive of
everything it called 'continental' in philosophy. Among the many
achievements of A. W. Moore's remarkable book is that it shows why
we can leave that behind us. The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics
should make a real contribution to the formation of a philosophical
culture better informed of its history and no longer riven by
absurd and absurdly simplistic divisions.' Simon Glendinning,
London School of Economics and Political Science
'… a truly monumental achievement, as extraordinary in the
generosity of its scope and the breadth of its learning as it is in
its sensitivity to the many possibly shifting nuances of its own
self-expression. But if the term 'monumental' is suggestive of
something carved out of heavily immovable stone, it would be
utterly misleading. Moore, no mean meta-metaphysician himself,
constantly challenges his readers to join him and his exceptionally
varied cast of fellow seekers after meaningfulness in thinking
always anew as to what sense there may be to the deeply human
project of 'making sense of things' - and about why such sense as
may be there to be found, may turn out not to be statable in terms
of truth-seeking propositions. It is a story that makes for an
inevitably long and at times undeniably strenuous read; but the
effort is infinitely worthwhile.' Alan Montefiore, London School of
Economics and Political Science
'… [a] splendid achievement.' The Times Literary Supplement
'… a bold and engaging book, opening up much fertile ground for
future work. I highly recommend a close reading of it.' Analysis
and Metaphysics
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