The book "Contemporary Philosophy"

Peter Baafunu Michael February 05, 2020 at 14:16 3025 views 5 comments Philosophy of Science

Many years ago, I came across a book with the title "Contemporary Philosophy." I read a few chapters of the book, but what interested me most was the story about Isaac Newton and Leibniz. I can't remember the author or year of publication. Can someone please help me with details of the book so that I can get a copy at the store?

Comments (5)

SophistiCat February 05, 2020 at 17:36 ¶ #379007 0 likes

Reply to Peter Baafunu Michael Are you sure it was "Contemporary Philosophy"? Newton and Leibniz aren't exactly contemporary...

Peter Baafunu Michael February 05, 2020 at 19:16 ¶ #379034 0 likes

Reply to SophistiCat They should be contemporary since they were of the same era and knew each other.

Pfhorrest February 05, 2020 at 22:18 ¶ #379090 0 likes

Reply to Peter Baafunu Michael I'm not sure if this is a joke or not.

They were contemporaries of each other, but they are not Contemporary philosophers as in part of the period of philosophy that is contemporary with us right now.

(I wonder how long into the future we'll have to go before the likes of Hegel and Frege aren't considered "Contemporary philosophy" anymore; or if they'll remain "Contemporary" and we'll move on to "Post-Contemporary" philosophy the way the Continentals tried to do with Modern philosophy).

Janus February 05, 2020 at 22:24 ¶ #379095 0 likes

Reply to Pfhorrest I don't think Hegel and Frege qualify as, or are generally considered to be, contemporary philosophers today. "Modern" perhaps....

Pfhorrest February 05, 2020 at 23:31 ¶ #379133 0 likes

Reply to Janus The two main schools of Contemporary philosophy are the Analytic and Continental schools, of which Hegel and Frege are (at least arguably) the first figures. I know there's debate about whether the Modern period has ended or not, but on those accounts where it has ended and we're now in the Contemporary period instead, Kant is usually seen as the end of the Modern period.

I guess I've also just implicitly answered my own question. The current period of philosophy will end once the Analytic-Continental divide is resolved, and this period will retroactively be called something else, while whatever is going on then will be the new "contemporary".