What We Can Never Know: Blindspots in Philosophy and Science / Edition 1

by David Gamez

Overview

Contemporary philosophy and science strive to give a complete account of the world and our position in it. In this original and provocative book, David Gamez engages the reader in a series of colourful thought experiments that illustrate the limits of this mission. Although we commonly believe that science will give a final description of everything, What We Can Never Know reveals blindspots in many of our theories that completely undermine their ability to explain reality. Each chapter explores these problems using a popular question or topic in philosophy, such as our perception of space, the nature of time, scepticism or the relationship between reason and madness. In this series of lively studies, Gamez pushes our everyday assumptions to their limits and opens up fresh perspectives on philosophy and science. By leading the reader progressively through key areas of our knowledge, this book will leave you questioning everything that you think you know.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826491602
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/15/2007
Pages:	300
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.81(d)

About the Author

David Gamez is at the University of Essex, UK where he is working on a project to build a conscious robot. He has a PhD in Continental Philosophy and previous publications include What Philosophy Is (co-edited with Havi Carel, Continuum, 2003).

Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Stable and Collapsing Theories 2. Evidence for the Brain? 3. Impossible Speech about Time 4. Merging Madness and Reason 5. Lost in the Labyrinths of Knowledge Endings...
Notes
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Drawing together several of the main streams of philosophical thought, the author offers much more than just an overview of various attempts to surpass the limits of our knowledge of ourselves and everything else." -David Braid, Philosophy Now, 2009

'A wonderfully imaginative and powerfully written defence of positive scepticism' Professor Simon Critchley - New School for Social Research, New York.

From the Publisher