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Preface

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 December 2009

Yemima Ben-Menahem
Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
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Summary

The cluster of problems surrounding the notion of convention and its counterpart, the notion of truth, have always been at the very heart of philosophical inquiry. This book examines a relatively recent round in this ongoing discussion, beginning with Poincaré and ending with Quine and the later Wittgenstein. It is only during this period that the notion of convention comes to be associated with an ‘ism,’ a distinct philosophical position. I will focus on the philosophy of science and mathematics, setting aside other realms of philosophy, such as ethics and political theory, in which questions about the role of convention also figure prominently. Although a wide spectrum of positions fall under the rubric “conventionalism,” all explore the scope and limits of epistemic discretion. On the prevailing conception, conventionalism has been taken to extend the scope of discretion to the very stipulation of truth. The thrust of the present study is a critique of this reading.

The various chapters of this book are largely self-contained, but when brought to bear on one another, they provide not only a new understanding of conventionalism, but a reframing of central themes of twentieth-century philosophy.

My debts to teachers, colleagues, students, and others who have written on the aforementioned questions are, of course, numerous. I would like to mention, in particular, Yehuda Elkana, Hilary Putnam, and the late Frank Manuel, who introduced me to the history and philosophy of science; my late physics teacher Ruth Stern, who imparted to her students a feel for the beauty of physics; and my late friends Amos Funkenstein and Mara Beller, who passed away at the peak of their creative careers.

Type
Chapter
Information
Conventionalism
From Poincare to Quine
, pp. ix - x
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

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  • Preface
  • Yemima Ben-Menahem, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • Book: Conventionalism
  • Online publication: 04 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511584404.001
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  • Preface
  • Yemima Ben-Menahem, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • Book: Conventionalism
  • Online publication: 04 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511584404.001
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Preface
  • Yemima Ben-Menahem, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
  • Book: Conventionalism
  • Online publication: 04 December 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511584404.001
Available formats
×