Walking on the of reason: The uncertain life of rational animals

Author: (American) Robert Fogelin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: Humans can believe in everything, but they can also fall into deep doubt and confusion. Part of the problem lies in the fact that many of our beliefs lack a rational foundation. The deeper and more troublesome issue is that the pursuit of reason itself is the source of this doubt and confusion. In Walking the Tightrope of Reason, Robert Fogelin guides readers through the labyrinth of paradoxes, illusions, and radical skepticism, which are central to philosophical inquiry. Fogelin argues that our rational faculties insist on providing a purely rational explanation of the universe, yet simultaneously, the inherent flaws of these faculties prevent us from ever fully satisfying this demand. As a result, we find ourselves in an unreliable position, either comforting ourselves with what Kant called the "metaphysical illusion" or accepting the stance of radical skepticism. By reflecting on ancient Greek skeptics and thinkers such as Hume, Kant, Wittgenstein, Nietzsche, and Sartre, this book allows readers to enter—and navigate—some of the most tricky yet challenging areas of philosophy.