A few words about tbe origins of analytic philosophy.
|
These notes concern the history of the use of the term analytic and related terms (analysis, analytical, analyticity) in certain narrow technical senses,
viz: those of the field which has been known for much of this century as analytic philosophy, and of the broader philosophical heritage on which analytic philosophy is based.
|
|
Varieties of Philosophical Analysis in recent history are examined and
contrasted with the formal analysis framework.
|
|
|
The term "Analytic Philosophy" was applied during the twentieth century to the dominant philosophical tradition in English
speaking academia, and has been applied retrospectively to the philosophical tradition stretching back through millenia before
it.
There is more than one story about its origins.
Frege, Russell and Moore are often credited, one recent account centering around Russell may be found in [Hylton92].
Dummet gives a completely different story, not claiming to be exhaustive, in his book on origins of analytic philosophy.
|
|
Developments Affecting Philosophy
I have the impression that two quite different kinds of development in philosophy occurred at the beginning of this century.
The first was a considerable advance in our understanding of logic, which makes it possible to settle conclusively most disputes
about the validity of deductive arguments.
This coincides with the introduction of formal notations into logic, and therefore with a partial separation of logic from
the language of ordinary discourse.
The second was an important change of attitude toward language.
The hitherto widespread (if covert) practice of inferring prescriptions about usage in the course of philosophical deliberation
was deprecated.
It was displaced by the view that language is a settled institution, facts about which are part of the tools of a philosopher,
and which can and should be used to refute any philosophical theory which cannot be adequately expressed without some nicer
distinction than can be put without linguistic innovation.
|
Their Effects
The opportunities presented by developments in our understanding of logic contributed to logical atomism and were consistent
with logical positivism, but have been largely cast aside by the wave of philosophy which has remained firmly embedded in
natural languages, largely untouched by formal technique, and oblivious to fatal defects in its methods.
|
|
This heritage spans over 2000 years and includes works originally written in many different languages, including Greek, Latin,
and German.
English is really the only language I know well, and happens to be the main language in which analytic philosophy is now conducted.
What I am interested in here is mainly the meaning of the terms.
The usage spans many languages and spans long periods of time during which these languages have continued to evolve.
It is rare for philosophers to distinguish clearly between making a statement about the meaning of a word and making a philosophical claim involving a concept.
So, we are going to find that there are many different meanings which have been attached to the words and most of them are
not very clear.
|
|
Ancient
The term
analytic dates back to ancient Greece, though its meaning at that time differs somewhat from present usage.
|
Modern
Analytic as a kind of sentence (or of statement or proposition).
|
Contemporary
Analytic as a kind of Philosophy.
|
|