There is a very nice article/interview in the Observer with Rebecca Newberger Goldstein about her latest book Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won’t Go Away, in which philosophy is defended very well. I particularly like the characterization of philosophy as `increasing coherence.’ I would very much like to see what people have to say about this, so I will try to keep up with the comments.
A Defence of Philosophy
Posted on October 19, 2014 by Aaron Thomas-Bolduc
A Philosopher's Take 
Brandon Beasley
October 19, 2014
I read an article (not this one) about this book, and heard an interview with her (somewhere), both of which prompted me to buy the book, though I’ve not read it yet! (As you well know, in grad school there is always too much to read). But I very much appreciate her coming to philosophy’s defense, especially in these scientistic times. The comment about “increasing coherence” reminds me of Sellars’ notion that the job of philosophy is to “see how things (in the broadest possible sense) hang together (in the broadest possible sense)”. I think there is something definitely right about that. (Though it of course may not exhaust what philosophy amounts to.)
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Aaron Thomas-Bolduc
October 20, 2014
I was not aware of the Sellers quote. Quite good, though not really any clearer than `coherence’ which is notoriously difficult to pin down.
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Maximus&Magnus
October 29, 2014
Reblogged this on Interactive philosophy and commented:
Today’s philosophy deserves to be criticized, and good that it is. The problem is that when criticizing philosophy one usually defends science or religion. The same holds for the other parts of science-religion-philosophy triangle. Nice to see that someone finally seems to criticize all three of them.
Although it would be interesting to listen to the arguments why the platonic ethical intuitions are less consistent than the Bertrand Russell’s atheism.
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Aaron Thomas-Bolduc
October 30, 2014
Thanks for the reblog.
I agree that there are problems in contemporary philosophy, but it’s nice to see criticism that recognises the value of philosophy.
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Maximus&Magnus
October 30, 2014
Thanks for something to reblog.
Our blog’s relation to philosophy is very tender, but sometimes we are just amused about philosophers who insist on being blind to the obvious things. “Philosophy is not the final word” – is one of such things. We agree that philosophy is better when it keeps track of science and of what is happening around in general, and not just dreams on a golden pillow. Maybe after the ghost of romanticism is finally gone philosophy will also include neighborhood reality into its considerations.
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