This chapter explains what it means to do philosophy historically. It gives an account of this enterprise's goals and methods, one that distinguishes it both from the practice of philosophy more narrowly construed and from the study of the history of philosophy. It also investigates the value of this activity. It explains what kind of illumination it offers, and why this illumination is worth seeking. To this end, I first examine a number of current views about what is involved in doing philosophy historically, and explain why I find them inadequate. Next, I raise the question of what kind of understanding is gained through the study of history – any kind of history. I do so by drawing on John Herman Randall's discussion of the “genetic method.” I then extend Randall's discussion of the genetic method to the case of philosophy, and explain how a study of past philosophy might teach philosophical lessons. Finally, since my discussion relies heavily on the notion of a philosophical picture, I end the chapter by clarifying this notion's meaning and defending its use.

CURRENT VIEWS

It is not difficult to describe the enterprise of doing philosophy historically in very general terms. Imagine two ideal types: the pure philosopher and the pure historian of philosophy. The pure philosopher is interested solely in “doing” philosophy – that is, in discovering the answers to contemporary philosophical questions. She may want to know whether uncaused free action is possible or moral values objective, for example.