The Problems of Contemporary Philosophy: A Critical Guide for the Unaffiliated

by Paul Livingston, Andrew Cutrofello

This accessible new book provides a clear and wide-ranging introduction to the defining problems of contemporary philosophy. Its unique feature is to focus on problems that cut across the established divide between �analytic� and �continental� philosophical traditions. Instead of segregating the two traditions, as is usually done, the authors offer a critical orientation and guide for readers who are not exclusively affiliated with either approach and who want to understand the increasingly shared questions philosophers are asking and addressing today.

Each chapter starts with a fundamental overarching question: (1) What and how can we know? (2) What is the structure of the world? (3) What goes beyond the physical world? (4) What is to be done? (5) What does it mean to orient oneself philosophically? Under these headings, the authors critically examine the discipline�s most fundamental problems. Their approach reveals deep and unexpected connections across the analytic/continental divide, and opens up new ways of thinking about critique itself. No other book about contemporary philosophy is as comprehensive and cosmopolitan.

The Problems of Contemporary Philosophy provides newcomers and seasoned philosophers alike with an entertaining, engaging, and far-reaching portrait of today�s philosophical landscape. It is an exemplary instance of thinking across and beyond the analytic/continental divide.

Genres: Philosophy, History

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2015

Reviews

[Kamakana · Rating 3 out of 5]

140218: this is a good text on contemporary philosophy, though from the title on i have arguments. i would replace 'problems'- which suggests to me 'correct' math- in the title with virtually anything: thoughts, ideas, questions, arguments... etc.- which allows, encourages, various responses. then, as he explains because of limits of familiarity, this contemporary philosophy is mostly american (35 books), anglo (36), analytic (17), so my current interests in indic (56), feminist (56), japanese (32), chinese (6), african (13), greek (15), italian (15), arabic, are not at all present...

as introductory this text offers short thoughts on various questions from various philosophers, and to the extent i have read much for example phenomenology (155), find his use of husserl (30), heidegger (37), nietzsche (9), kant (10), thin and uninformative, i must wonder how accurate his use of all the philosophers of whom i know little, hume, hobbes, bentham, russell (4), wittgenstein (4), and of course all those more contemporary whose names i have perhaps heard but not their ideas. there are many references to the analytic tradition- davidson, kripke, carnap, less the continental- foucault (5), merleau-ponty (71), lyotard (1), agamben (2), a few on thinkers of neither mainstream- rorty (1), adorno, habermas (1), some others almost none- deleuze (25), bergson (38)...

this text does also inform me what are my primary interests in philosophy as a whole: ontology, metaphysics, aesthetics, and then noneuropean emphasis on enlightenment etc. there are brief arguments about the 'ancient quarrel' between philosophy and poetry, brief arguments about the divide between analytic and continental philosophy, brief arguments about the extension of philosophical areas of thought to race, class, gender... i am not convinced analytic/continental is necessarily an ideological and artificial division, but then i have read mostly in continental and from a global perspective the reality/illusion of such divide can be seen as rather parochial, as do questions of being and nothingness, good and evil, practice, existence or not of God...

somewhere to start if you are interested in 'western' philosophy. i am moved to suggest the best way to reflect on your own philosophy say analytic (problems, thoughts, questions...) it is useful to reflect on other philosophy say continental (other problems, thoughts, questions...)... or from other cultures say india or japan or...(other themes, ideas, concepts...)...