What Has History to Do with Philosophy? Insights from the Medieval Contemplative Tradition
British Academy eBooks July 26, 2018 DOI: 10.5871/bacad/9780197266298.003.0010 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 19 |
| Key points | Argues that historically oriented analysis can correct philosophical prejudices by tracing the development of key concepts and examining their original contexts, and proposes that historical context can also provide resources to complement contemporary philosophical discussions, as illustrated by the case of medieval mysticism and modern mystical experience. |
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the corrective and complementary roles that a historically oriented approach can occupy in philosophical discussions. First, it argues that analysis of the development of key definitions, concepts, principles and so forth can often illuminate problematic prejudices that should motivate a re-examination of the philosophical considerations in their favour. Second, it claims that this re-examination should involve looking at the relevant historical context in which the idea developed. Third, it demonstrates (via the case study of medieval mysticism and modern conceptions of mystical experience) that turning to the relevant historical context can sometimes provide viable philosophical resources with which to complement existing discussions. The chapter concludes by suggesting that this approach can also help philosophers engage in meaningful interaction with scholars working on similar topics in other disciplines.