The Many Faces of Relativism

The Many Faces of Relativism
Author: Maria Baghramian
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 312
Release: 2015-10-14
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1317701658

This book is a study of relativism as a dominant intellectual preoccupation of our time. Relativism asks how we are to find a way out of intractable differences of perspectives and disagreements in various domains. Standards of truth, rationality, and ethical right and wrong vary greatly and there are no universal criteria for adjudicating between them. In considering this problem, relativism suggests that what is true or right can only be determined within variable contexts of assessment. This book brings together articles published in the International Journal of Philosophical Studies over a period of 17 years, as well as in a Special Issue of the journal published in 2004. The chapters in Section I discuss some of the main forms of relativism. Section II sheds light on the different motivations for relativism, assessing their strengths and weaknesses. Section III provides a detailed examination of the vexed question of whether Ludwig Wittgenstein, in his later work, supported relativism. The varied responses to this important question shed light on the issues discussed in Sections I and II. This collection is a lively and engaging resource for scholars interested in the crucial impact relativism has had on the way we think about the meaning of truth, and what is right and wrong. The chapters in this book were originally published in the International Journal of Philosophical Studies.

Cultural Relativism in the Face of the West

Cultural Relativism in the Face of the West
Author: B. Billet
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 235
Release: 2016-04-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1137119136

Billet examines the debate between the uniform application of universal human rights and cultural relativism. Billet outlines the foundations and evolution of both schools of thought. The book also examines case studies that involve either women or children and are typically viewed by the West as violations of fundamental human rights.

Philosophy and the Many Faces of Science

Philosophy and the Many Faces of Science
Author: Dionysios Anapolitanos
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 328
Release: 1998
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 9780847681754

This collection of original papers by an international group of distinguished philosophers of science impressively demonstrates the links among the philosophic points of view, areas of focus, and methods of treatment used in examining the many facets of scientific inquiry. It will be an indispensable collection for philosophers of science and scientists of various disciplines, including physicists, neuroscientists, and psychologists.

The Many Faces of Clio

The Many Faces of Clio
Author: Q. Edward Wang
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Total Pages: 502
Release: 2007
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781845452704

Born in Germany, Georg Iggers escaped from Nazism to the United States in his adolescence where he became one of the most distinguished scholars of European intellectual history and the history of historiography. In his lectures, delivered all over the world, and in his numerous books, translated into many languages, Georg Iggers has reshaped historiography and indefatigably promoted cross-cultural dialogue. This volume reflects the profound impact of his oeuvre. Among the contributors are leading intellectual historians but also younger scholars who explore the various cultural contexts of modern historiography, focusing on changes of European and American scholarship as well as non-Western historical writing in relation to developments in the West. Addressing these changes from a transnational perspective, this well-rounded volume offers an excellent introduction to the field, which will be of interest to both established historians and graduate students.

Absolute Relativism: The New Dictatorship and What to Do about It

Absolute Relativism: The New Dictatorship and What to Do about It
Author: Stefanick Chris
Publisher: Catholic Answers
Total Pages: 59
Release: 2011-05-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781933919461

Welcome to the new tyranny "If it feels good, do it." "That's your opinion, and this is mine." "I don't want to impose my beliefs on others." And thus the Dictator of Relativism speaks as he has always spoken to seduce humanity into a false sense of freedom. Pope Benedict XVI, Christ's personally chosen defender of the Truth is fighting back. He recognized this in his homily on April 18, 2005, "We are building a dictatorship of relativism that does not recognize anything as definitive and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's own ego and desires." Through a down-to-earth, easily accessible Question-and-Answer format, Stefanick's book shows: Why relativism inherently contradicts its own claims. What makes it one of the worst ideas in the history of ideas. How relativism has a direct influence on the morals and virtues of a nation. Why relativism doesn't even work "in real life." How relativism is counterproductive to the true practice of tolerance Why religion which makes claims to absolute truth is finally more tolerant than relativism. What Christianity has almost singlehandedly done to foster true tolerance in the world. How all laws legislate morality What the true meaning of "open-minded" means it's not what you think!

Relativism

Relativism
Author: Maria Baghramian
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 303
Release: 2019-09-30
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1000691101

Relativism, an ancient philosophical doctrine, is once again a topic of heated debate. In this book, Maria Baghramian and Annalisa Coliva present the recent arguments for and against various forms of relativism. The first two chapters introduce the conceptual and historical contours of relativism. These are followed by critical investigations of relativism about truth, conceptual relativism, epistemic relativism, and moral relativism. The concluding chapter asks whether it is possible to make sense of relativism as a philosophical thesis. The book introduces readers to the main types of relativism and the arguments in their favor. It also goes beyond the expository material to engage in more detailed critical responses to the key positions and authors under discussion. Including chapter summaries, suggestions for further reading, and a glossary, Relativism is essential reading for students of philosophy as well as those in related disciplines where relativism is studied, such as anthropology, sociology, and politics.

The Book of Absolutes

The Book of Absolutes
Author: William Gairdner
Publisher: McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP
Total Pages: 415
Release: 2008
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0773574697

A lively challenge to postmodern opinion that reveals satisfying and reliable certainties.

The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Relativism

The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Relativism
Author: Martin Kusch
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 582
Release: 2019-12-06
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1351052292

Relativism can be found in all philosophical traditions and subfields of philosophy. It is also a central idea in the social sciences, the humanities, religion and politics. This is the first volume to map relativistic motifs in all areas of philosophy, synchronically and diachronically. It thereby provides essential intellectual tools for thinking about contemporary issues like cultural diversity, the plurality of the sciences, or the scope of moral values. The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Relativism is an outstanding major reference source on this fundamental topic. The 57 chapters by a team of international contributors are divided into nine parts: Relativism in non-Western philosophical traditions Relativism in Western philosophical traditions Relativism in ethics Relativism in political and legal philosophy Relativism in epistemology Relativism in metaphysics Relativism in philosophy of science Relativism in philosophy of language and mind Relativism in other areas of philosophy. Essential reading for students and researchers in all branches of philosophy, this handbook will also be of interest to those in related subjects such as politics, religion, sociology, cultural studies and literature.

The Many Faces of Realism

The Many Faces of Realism
Author: Hilary Putnam
Publisher: Open Court Publishing Company
Total Pages: 98
Release: 1987
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 9780812690439

"The first two lectures place the alternative I defend -- a kind of pragmatic realism -- in a historical and metaphysical context. Part of that context is provided by Husserl's remark that the history of modern philosophy begins with Galileo -- that is, modern philosophy has been hypnotized by the idea that scientific facts are all the facts there are. Another part is provided by the analysis of a very simple example of what I call 'contextual relativity'. The position I defend holds that truth depends on conceptual scheme and it is nonetheless 'real truth'. "In my third lecture I turn to the Kantian antecedents of this view, explaining what I think should be retained of the Kantian idea of autonomy as the central theme of morality, and extracting from Kant's work a 'moral image of the world' that connects the ideals of equality and intellectual liberty. In this lecture I defend the idea that moral images are an indispensible part of our moral and cultural heritage. "In the final lecture I defend the idea of moral objectivity. I compare our epistemological positions in ethics, history, analysis of human character, and science, and I argue that in no area can we hope for a 'foundation' which is more ultimate than the beliefs that actually, at a given time, function as foundational in the area, the beliefs concerning which one has to say 'this is where my spade is turned'. In ethics such beliefs are represented in moral images of the world."

Practicing Communication Ethics

Practicing Communication Ethics
Author: Kenneth E. Anderson
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 265
Release: 2015-07-17
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1317345266

Practicing Communication Ethics provides a theoretical framework for developing a personal standard of ethics that can be applied in real world communication situations. Through an examination of specific ethical values including truth, justice, freedom, care, and integrity, this first edition enables the reader to personally determine which values they are ethically committed to upholding. Blending communication theory, ethics as practical philosophy, and moral psychology, this text presents the practice of communication ethics as part of the lifelong process of personal development and fosters the ability in its readers to approach communication decision-making through an ethical lens.