Language and Illumination: Studies in the History of Philosophy

152 Pages·1969·7.86 MB·

by  S. Morris Engel (auth.)

S. MORRIS ENGEL
LANGUAGE
AND
ILLUMINATION
Studies in
the History of Philosophy
MARTlNUS NIJHOFF I THE HAGUE
MARTINUS NIjHOFF - PUBLISHER - THE HAGUE
In these essays, written originally in response to certain views
and doctrines of linguistic philosophy, the author has tried to
argue that although linguistic philosophy's impact upon our un
derstanding and conception of philosophy has been profound, its
contribution to our understanding of the history of philosophy,
including its own history, has unfortunately all too often been dis
appointing, superficial and misguided. While this seems rather re
markable, especially since the tool which it has fashioned is obvi
ously not without its uses even here, in the light of its negative and
restrictive conception of language the results it has achieved are
not after all perhaps surprising or unexpected.
The author has tried to correct some of these misreadings and
misinterpretations by pointing out that language is something more
than what it has generally been taken to be - on the contrary, that
it has uses we have yet to account for and depths which we have
yet to fathom. For although language certainly possesses a great
capacity for deception, its capacity for illumination is no less pro
found. It is the failure to see this that has led linguistic philosophy
to give the kind of verdict on the history of philosophy which is
now so familiar to us. But that verdict is neither warranted by
the facts nor a necessary consequence of its theory. For far from
being antithetical, facts and theory are here mutually illuminating.
About the author: Born March 3, 1931; studied at the University of Manitoba,
(B.A., 1953; M.A., 1955) and at the University of Toronto (Ph.D. in Philosophy, 1959);
Assistant Professor at the University of New Brunswick (1959-61); Canada Council
Fellow (1961-62); Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California (1962-
64); Associate Professor (1964--present). In addition to other articles in the journals,
Dr. Engel is also the author of The Problem of Trag,dy.
1969. XI and 141 pages. Guilders 19.80
MARTINUS NljHOFF - PUBLISHER - THE HAGUE
Adamczewski, Zygmunt, The tragic protest. 1963. VI and 282 pp.
Guilders 27.
Penetrating studies valuable to a wide range of readers interested in literature or
philosophy. The book opens a deeper view of the tragic protest in its existential setting.
Alexander, W. M., Johann Georg Hamann: philosophy and faith.
1966. XII and 212 pp. Guilders 28.25
Ardley, Gavin, Berkeley's renovation of philosophy. 1968. XV and
179 pp. Guilders 21.60
Atlas, Samuel, From critical to speculative idealism. The philoso
phy of Solomon Maimon. 1964. XI and 335 pp.
Cloth. Guilders 27.-
Byrne, Edmund F., Probability and opinion. A study in the me
dieval presuppositions of post-medieval theories of probability.
1968. XXX and 329 pp. Guilders 39.60
Carlo, W. E., The ultimate reducibility of essence to existence in
existential metaphysics. Preface by W. N. Clarke. 1966. XVII
and 150 pp. Guilders 23.-
Feibleman, James K., Foundations of empiricism. 1962. VIII and
389 pp. Cloth. Guilders 27.-
-- Moral Strategy. An introduction to the ethics of confronta-
tion. 1967. XI and 325 pp. Cloth. Guilders 37.25
-- Inside the great mirror. A critical examination of the phil
osophy of Russell, Wittgenstein, and their followers. Photo
mechanical reprint 1969.228 pages. Guilders 18.-
Gobar, Ash, Philosophic foundations of genetic psychology and
Gestalt Psychology. A comparative study of the empirical basis,
theoretical structure, and epistemological groundwork of Euro
pean biological psychology. 1968. XXVIII and 331 pp.
Guilders 40.25
Johnson, Oliver A., Moral knowledge. 1966. X and 172 pp.
Guilders 20.50
Livergood, Norman D., Activity in Marx's philosophy. 1967.
XII and 109 pp. Guilders 16.20
MacDonald, Lauchlin D., John Grote. A critical estimate of his
writings. 1966. XXI and 284 pp. Guilders 38.50
MARTINUS NIjHOFF - PUBLISHER - THE HAGUE
Mesthene, Emmanuel G., How lan~age makes us know. Some
views about the nature of intelligibility. With a foreword by John
Herman Randall Jr. 1964. XIII and 111 pp. Guilders 13.50
O'Malley, John B., The fellowship of being. An essay on the con
cept of person in the philosophy of Gabriel Marcel. 1966. XII
and 140 pp. Guilders 20.-
Richardson, D. B., Berdyaev's Philosophy of History. An Ex-
istentialist Theory of Social Creativity and Eschatology. Preface
by Charles Hartshorne. 1968. XXII and 192 pp. Guilders 27.70
Rotenstreich, Nathan, Experience and its systematization. Studies
in Kant. 1965. VII and 178 pp. Guilders 21.-
-- 'Spirit and man. An essay on being and value. 1963.257 pp.
Guilders 20.75
Spakovsky, Aaatol von, Freedom, determinism, indeterminism.
1963. VII and 117 pp. Guilders 11.50
VyciDas, Vincent, Earth and Gods. An introduction to the philos
ophy of Martin Heidegger. 1961. XII and 323 pp.
Cloth. Guilders 26.50
-- Greatness and philosophy. An inquiry into Western thought.
1966. XI and 294 pp. Guilders 34.75
Zabeeh, F., Hume, precursor of modern empiricism. An analysis
of his opinions on meaning, metaphysics, logic and mathematics.
1960. 166 pp. Guilders 12.50
-- Universals. A new look at an old problem. 1966. XII and 68
pp. Guilders 11.25
-- What is in a name? An inquiry into the semantics and prag-
matics of proper names. 1968. VII and 78 pp. Guilders 10.-
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LANGUAGE AND ILLUMINATION
LANGUAGE AND
ILLUMINATION
Studies in the History of
Philosophy
by
S. MORRIS ENGEL
•
:
~
.
.:T: •
MARTINUS NIJHOFF / THE HAGUE /1969
ISBN 978-94-015-2208-3 ISBN 978-94-015-3435-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-015-3435-2
@ 1969 by Martinus NijhojJ, The Hague, Netherlands
All rights reserved, including the right to translate or to
reproduce this book or parts thereof in any form
Softcover reprint oft he hardcover 1st edition 1969
To
Phyllis
Michael and Hartley
with Love
FOREWORD
Although all the essays which make up this volume can be read as
independent studies - and were in fact originally written as such - it
is my hope that the reader will see that a unitary thread runs through
them and that together they tell a story of their own.
Written originally in response to certain views and doctrines of
linguistic philosophy, the point which I have tried to argue in them
is that although linguistic philosophy's impact upon our understanding
and conception of philosophy has been profound, its contribution to
our understanding of the history of philosophy, including its own
history, has unfortunately all too often been disappointing, superficial
and misguided. While this seems rather remarkable, especially since
the tool which it has fashioned is obviously not without its uses even
here, in the light of its negative and restrictive conception of language
the results achieved are not after all perhaps surprising or unexpected.
In the studies which follow I have tried to correct some of these
misreadings and misinterpretations by pointing out that language is
something more than what it has generally been taken to be - on the
contrary, that it has uses we have yet to account for and depths which
we have yet to fathom. For although, as I try to say in them, language
certainly possesses a great capacity for deception, its capacity for
illumination is no less profound. It is the failure to see this that has led
linguistic philosophy to give the kind of verdict of the history of phi
losophy which is now so familiar to us. But that verdict is neither war
ranted by the facts nor a necessary consequence of the theory. For
far from being antithetical, facts and theory are here, as I have also
tried to show in what follows, mutually illuminating. It is in this light
that I hope the reader will consider the studies which follow.
On their positive side I believe he will find in these essays an at
tempt to deal in a fresh way with such recurrent and recurring prob-
VIII Foreword
lems as the nature of philosophy, the limits of language, isomorphism,
novelty and creativity. Whether I have also succeeded in saying some
thing worthwhile concerning these matters is not, of course, for me to
say.
Los Angeles, Calif.
September, 1968