The Mystic and the Ineffable - Some Epistemological, Political, and Metaphilosophical Concerns (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9783836456432)

Mysticism and the sciences have traditionally been theoretical enemies, and the closer that philosophy allies itself with the sciences, the greater the philosophical tendency has been to attack mysticism as a possible avenue towards the acquisition of knowledge and/or understanding. Science and modern philosophy generally aim for epistemic disclosure of their contents, and, conversely, mysticism either aims at the restriction of esoteric knowledge, or claims such knowledge to be non-transferable. Thus the mystic is typically seen by analytic philosophers as a variety of 'private language' speaker, although the plausibility of such a position is seemingly foreclosed by Wittgenstein's work in the Philosophical Investigations. Yorke re-examines Wittgenstein's conclusion on the matter of private language, and argues that so-called 'ineffable' mystical experiences, far from being a 'beetle in a box', can play a viable role in our public language-games, via renewed efforts at articulation.

Author: Christopher Yorke
ISBN-10: 3836456435
ISBN-13: 9783836456432
Publisher: VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller E.K.
Language: English
Published: 02/14/2008
Pages: 112
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.42lbs
Size: 9.61h x 6.69w x 0.23d