Roy A. Sorensen Associate Professor of Philosophy New York University's Books

Thought Experiments

By: Roy A. Sorensen Associate Professor of Philosophy New York University

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Thought Experiments

By: Roy A. Sorensen Associate Professor of Philosophy New York University

Sorensen presents a general theory of thought experiments: what they are, how they work, what are their virtues and vices. On Sorensen's view, philosophy differs from science in degree, but not in kind. For this reason, he claims, it is possible to understand philosophical thought experiments by concentrating on their resemblance to scientific relatives. Lessons learned about scientific experimentation carry over to thought experiment, and vice versa. Sorensen also assesses the hazards and pseudo-hazards of thought experiments. Although he grants that there are interesting ways in which the method leads us astray, he attacks most scepticism about thought experiments as arbitrary. They should be used, he says, as they generally are used--as part of a diversified portfolio of techniques. All of these devices are individually susceptible to abuse, fallacy, and error. Collectively, however, they provide a network of cross-checks that make for impressive reliability.

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334

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Oxford University Press, USA

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ISBN 10

0198023804

ISBN 13

9780198023807

Nothing

A Philosophical History

By: Roy Sorensen

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Nothing

A Philosophical History

By: Roy Sorensen

About the fifth century BC, three civilizations independently and simultaneously began to philosophize about nothing: China (chapter 3), India (chapters 4 and 5), and Greece (chapters 6-10). They had previously focused on what is the case. Light poured on nature, architecture, and society. But then, in a cross-civilizational black-out, emerged disparate nay-sayers who shifted attention to what is not the case. Behold, the holes in a sponge are absences of sponge! Holes are what make the sponge useful for absorbing liquid. The sponge can exist without the holes. But the holes cannot "exist" without the sponge. They are parasites that depend on their host. Yet the two get along well. Without holes, there would not be so many sponges in your house. Your shadow is a more complex parasite. It is a hole you bore into the light. Your shadow depends on both you and the light. You and light are rather mysterious. Your shadow partakes of both mysteries. .

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369

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Oxford University Press

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ISBN 10

0199742839

ISBN 13

9780199742837

Thought Experiments

By: Roy A. Sorensen Associate Professor of Philosophy New York University

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Thought Experiments

By: Roy A. Sorensen Associate Professor of Philosophy New York University

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334

Publisher

Oxford University Press, USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0198023804

ISBN 13

9780198023807

Blindspots

By: Roy A. Sorensen,Assistant Professor of Philosophy Roy A Sorensen

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Blindspots

By: Roy A. Sorensen,Assistant Professor of Philosophy Roy A Sorensen

In 1942 G.E. Moore first wrote about the curious sort of "nonsense" exhibited by the statement "it is raining but I do not believe it". What Moore discovered was a species of blindspots: consistent propositions that cannot be rationally accepted by certain individuals even though they mightbe true. In this book, Professor Sorenson aims to provide a unified solution to a large family of philosophical puzzles and paradoxes through a study of blindspots. He devotes special attention to revealing their role in "slippery slope" reasoning.

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456

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Oxford University Press on Demand

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ISBN 10

0198249810

ISBN 13

9780198249818

Book's by Roy A. Sorensen Associate Professor of Philosophy New York University

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