30 review for Science, Perception and Reality

1. 

   5 out of 5

   David Auerbach – Sep 17, 2007

   This contains the classic "Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind" as well as most of the other early, seminal essays by Sellars. I think Sellars is THE great analytic philosopher of the late 20th century, and the first person to really pick up the gauntlet that Wittgenstein (and to some extent Quine) threw down. I.e.: if words do not denote, how do we communicate? It's just a shame he's such a confusing and disorganized writer.... This contains the classic "Empiricism and the Philosophy of Mind" as well as most of the other early, seminal essays by Sellars. I think Sellars is THE great analytic philosopher of the late 20th century, and the first person to really pick up the gauntlet that Wittgenstein (and to some extent Quine) threw down. I.e.: if words do not denote, how do we communicate? It's just a shame he's such a confusing and disorganized writer....

2. 

   4 out of 5

   Aung Sett Kyaw Min – Oct 10, 2020

   There are juicy bits and pieces of philosophy of science scattered throughout the twelve essays. Many essays in this collection tend to start off fairly accessible but get technical really fast before zooming out to the bigger picture. If you don't have a serviceable background in Carnap and the philosophy of language, I suggest skipping chapters 6,7, 8 though chapters 8 in particular contains interesting insights on the ontological import of the existential quantification over predicate or sent There are juicy bits and pieces of philosophy of science scattered throughout the twelve essays. Many essays in this collection tend to start off fairly accessible but get technical really fast before zooming out to the bigger picture. If you don't have a serviceable background in Carnap and the philosophy of language, I suggest skipping chapters 6,7, 8 though chapters 8 in particular contains interesting insights on the ontological import of the existential quantification over predicate or sentential variables (i.e. does such a quantification commit us to Platonically affirming the existence of abstract entities such as qualities, kinds and propositions). Setting aside the classics "Philosophy and the Scientific Image of Man" and "Empiricism and Philosophy of Mind", I found chapter 11 "Some Reflections on Language Games" wherein Sellars explores the fruitful distinctions between pattern governed behavior and rule following, game and metagame, and causes and reasons, to be the single most enlightening philosophical essay I've read all year. The suggestion at the end that the scientific theories could prompt us to introduce new "material moves/inferences" in the non-theoretical (everyday) language sees Sellars at his most revisionary with regards to the stereoscopic "joining" of the scientific image to the manifest image which could entail a partial liquidation of the latter by the former.

3. 

   5 out of 5

   Chant – Nov 12, 2020

   "The aim of philosophy, abstractly formulated, is to understand how things in the broadest possible sense of the term hang together in the broadest possible sense of the term." Sellars, to put it in the common usage of the parlance of our times, is a philosopher's philosopher. Sellars spares no expense on some of the most pressing philosophical issues that are still being discussed to this day. I will admit that Sellars' way of speaking/writing can be a bit of a turn off for many (which I can no "The aim of philosophy, abstractly formulated, is to understand how things in the broadest possible sense of the term hang together in the broadest possible sense of the term." Sellars, to put it in the common usage of the parlance of our times, is a philosopher's philosopher. Sellars spares no expense on some of the most pressing philosophical issues that are still being discussed to this day. I will admit that Sellars' way of speaking/writing can be a bit of a turn off for many (which I can now see why people are not receptive to McDowell or Brandom's style of writing) but once you get a handle on his way of speaking, the lectures are lively and truly thought provoking.

4. 

   4 out of 5

   John – Feb 15, 2021

   I read the two famous ones. They were OK. The ideas were OK. The writing was bad.

5. 

   5 out of 5

   Josiah Lopez-Wild –

6. 

   4 out of 5

   Ian Schiffman –

7. 

   5 out of 5

   m –

8. 

   4 out of 5

   Dustin Arand –

9. 

   5 out of 5

   Billy –

10. 

    4 out of 5

    Carl –

11. 

    5 out of 5

    Kaiser –

12. 

    4 out of 5

    Goshia –

13. 

    5 out of 5

    John –

14. 

    5 out of 5

    Rafael Suleiman –

15. 

    4 out of 5

    Gediminas –

16. 

    4 out of 5

    Owenmcgrann –

17. 

    4 out of 5

    gabriel –

18. 

    4 out of 5

    Tom –

19. 

    4 out of 5

    Phạm Quỳnh –

20. 

    4 out of 5

    Tsvetelina Mitsova –

21. 

    5 out of 5

    Massimiliano –

22. 

    5 out of 5

    Bernie Koenig –

23. 

    4 out of 5

    Jonatan W. –

24. 

    5 out of 5

    Dave –

25. 

    4 out of 5

    Duffy Pratt –

26. 

    5 out of 5

    Nadavbiran –

27. 

    4 out of 5

    Kiel Mcelroy –

28. 

    5 out of 5

    Luke –

29. 

    5 out of 5

    Lysergius –

30. 

    5 out of 5

    Jan M Arnold –