CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS AS A PHILOSOPHICAL METHOD: THEOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY ARGUMENTS
Journal: BULLETIN OF KEMEROVO STATE UNIVERSITY. SERIES: HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Volume 1 № 3
, 2017
Rubrics: PHILOSOPHY
Authors:
1.
Siberian Federal University
Type:
Article
Pages:
from 61
to 64
Status:
Published
Received:
18.12.2017
Accepted:
18.12.2017
Published:
18.12.2017
Language:
Russian
Keywords:
konceptual'nyy analiz, yazyk, filosofskiy metod, adaptaciya, teoriya evolyucii, teologicheskiy argument, evolyucionistskiy argument, logicheskiy izomorfizm, Conceptual analysis, language, philosophical method, adaptation, evolution theory, theological argument, evolutionary argument, logical isomorphism
Abstract (English):
The author poses a question of applicability of conceptual analysis as a tool of philosophical inquiry compared to conceptual analysis as a linguistic research tool. The article contains a critical analysis of the previous solution of this problem. This solution was to prove that the world of physical systems and the world of mental states are isomorphic. This was a solution used by Descartes and by a significant number of post-Cartesian philosophers who borrowed it from scholastic philosophy. The author analyses a strong and a weak version of the theological argument to show that both of these versions are inapplicable for proving the value of conceptual analysis as a philosophical method. The article focuses on an alternative way to prove that philosophers can safely use conceptual analysis to benefit their studies. The alternative argument is the following: human language is an evolutionary adaptation, it implicitly contains ideas that adequately reflect non-verbal reality. Conceptual analysis allows one to explicate and structure these initially implicit ideas, which makes conceptual analysis a potent tool of philosophical studies.
The author poses a question of applicability of conceptual analysis as a tool of philosophical inquiry compared to conceptual analysis as a linguistic research tool. The article contains a critical analysis of the previous solution of this problem. This solution was to prove that the world of physical systems and the world of mental states are isomorphic. This was a solution used by Descartes and by a significant number of post-Cartesian philosophers who borrowed it from scholastic philosophy. The author analyses a strong and a weak version of the theological argument to show that both of these versions are inapplicable for proving the value of conceptual analysis as a philosophical method. The article focuses on an alternative way to prove that philosophers can safely use conceptual analysis to benefit their studies. The alternative argument is the following: human language is an evolutionary adaptation, it implicitly contains ideas that adequately reflect non-verbal reality. Conceptual analysis allows one to explicate and structure these initially implicit ideas, which makes conceptual analysis a potent tool of philosophical studies.
Keywords:
konceptual'nyy analiz, yazyk, filosofskiy metod, adaptaciya, teoriya evolyucii, teologicheskiy argument, evolyucionistskiy argument, logicheskiy izomorfizm, Conceptual analysis, language, philosophical method, adaptation, evolution theory, theological argument, evolutionary argument, logical isomorphism
konceptual'nyy analiz, yazyk, filosofskiy metod, adaptaciya, teoriya evolyucii, teologicheskiy argument, evolyucionistskiy argument, logicheskiy izomorfizm, Conceptual analysis, language, philosophical method, adaptation, evolution theory, theological argument, evolutionary argument, logical isomorphism
