Interpretation, Relativism, and the Metaphysics of Culture

by Richard M. Shusterman (Editor), Michael Krauz

Combining historical exegesis and systematic elaboration, contemporary American philosopher Joseph Margolis has created and defended a metaphysics and a logic that he has applied throughout the realms of culture. Is his account fully consistent? Is it adequate to the needs of interpretative practice in the natural and human sciences? Scholars of various philosophical persuasions critically engage these questions. In fifteen hitherto unpublished essays, they explore the metaphysics of flux and relativistic logic that constitute Margolis' theory of culture. Specific issues covered include: the idea of interpretation, the fixity of meaning, objectivity, pragmatism, the embodiment of the self, and the metaphysics of flux. The careful study and criticism embodied in this collection of insightful articles attest to the originality and importance of Margolis' work. Besides the contributions by editors Krausz and Shusterman, and a concluding reply by Joseph Margolis himself, the other contributors include: Noel Carroll, Peter Caws, Dale Jacquette, Peter McCormick, J. N. Mohanty, Nicholas Rescher, Tom Rockmore, Gail Soffer, Laurent Stern, Marx W. Wartofsky, Joanne Waugh, and Eddy M. Zemach.

427 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1998

About the author

Richard Shusterman is an American pragmatist philosopher. Known for his contributions to philosophical aesthetics and the emerging field of somaesthetics, currently he is the Dorothy F. Schmidt Eminent Scholar in the Humanities and Professor of Philosophy at Florida Atlantic University.