Knowing & Acting: An Invitation to Philosophy

Politics & Social Sciences

Toulmin, Stephen Edelston

Philosophy

MacMillan Publishing Company

Surveys the evaluation of man's scientific knowledge regarding the theories and principles of astronomy

The Fabric of the Heavens: The Development of Astronomy and Dynamics

Harpercollins College Div

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Human understanding

Clarendon Press

An Examination of the Place of Reason in Ethics

Cambridge University Press

The central problem of ethics, according to Stephen Toulmin, is that of finding a way to distinguish good moral arguments from weak ones, good reasons from poor ones, and deciding whether there comes a point in the course of moral argument when the giving of reasons becomes superfluous. The inquiry he undertakes in An Examination of the Place of Reason in Ethics centers on the question of what makes a particular set of facts that bear on a moral decision a "good reason" for acting in a particular way. The author contends that he has no interest in a circular argument to the effect that a "good reason" is one that supports the kind of act he would regard as a "good act"; his task is to clarify the nature of moral reasoning and the kind of logic that goes into it.

The turmoil and brutality of the twentieth century have made it increasingly difficult to maintain faith in the ability of reason to fashion a stable and peaceful world. After the ravages of global conflict and a Cold War that divided the world's loyalties, how are we to master our doubts and face the twenty-first century with hope?
In Return to Reason, Stephen Toulmin argues that the potential for reason to improve our lives has been hampered by a serious imbalance in our pursuit of knowledge. The centuries-old dominance of rationality, a mathematical mode of reasoning modeled on theory and universal certainties, has diminished the value of reasonableness, a system of humane judgments based on personal experience and practice. To this day, academic disciplines such as economics and professions such as law and medicine often value expert knowledge and abstract models above the testimony of diverse cultures and the practical experience of individuals.
Now, at the beginning of a new century, Toulmin sums up a lifetime of distinguished work and issues a powerful call to redress the balance between rationality and reasonableness. His vision does not reject the valuable fruits of science and technology, but requires awareness of the human consequences of our discoveries. Toulmin argues for the need to confront the challenge of an uncertain and unpredictable world, not with inflexible ideologies and abstract theories, but by returning to a more humane and compassionate form of reason, one that accepts the diversity and complexity that is human nature as an essential beginning for all intellectual inquiry.

Return to Reason

Harvard University Press

The description for this book, Human Understanding, Volume I: The Collective Use and Evolution of Concepts, will be forthcoming.

Human Understanding, Volume I: The Collective Use and Evolution of Concepts

Princeton University Press

Human Understanding: The Collective Use and Evolution of Concepts

The Discovery of Time

Science & Math

History & Philosophy

Octagon Books

The Philosophy of Science; an Introduction

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. 
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. 
Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. 
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Hassell Street Press

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Books by Toulmin, Stephen Edelston