2 papers in the library · 34 citations · publishing 2015-2020
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc eBooks December 17, 2015 James Tartaglia 31 citations
A nihilist answer to the question of life's meaning is neither good nor bad, but can be used to address traditional philosophical questions about consciousness, time, and universals. The work argues that nihilism, rather than leading to gloom and despair, provides a keystone for rethinking central philosophical problems.
A Companion to Rorty February 14, 2020 James Tartaglia 3 citations
Richard Rorty's endorsement of physicalism conflicted with his own philosophical aims, driven by a confused motivation that failed to separate physicalism from metaphysics and scientism. The essay examines the importance of metaphilosophy to Rorty's stance on consciousness, which is central to his project and derived from Ryle but uniquely metaphilosophical. It disputes Rorty's historical thesis about the concept of consciousness, discusses the social utility of first-person reflection on consciousness, and argues that Rorty's obsession with religion led him to embrace a scientistic agenda he should have opposed.