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Chapter 35 - Philosophy

from Part VI - Social and Intellectual Topics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 May 2024

Joseph Hone
Affiliation:
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Pat Rogers
Affiliation:
University of South Florida
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Summary

This chapter considers Swift’s uses of philosophy – his use of the word, and the uses to which philosophy can be put, good and (mostly) bad. It looks at Swift’s uses of the term ‘philosophy’, its cognates, and some related terms (‘speculative’), and at his references to philosophers, to suggest he can use the term in a restricted positive sense as well as a more definitively negative sense, particularly in A Tale of a Tub, where hubristic claims towards systematic description characterise philosophical speculation allied with natural philosophy. The chapter concludes with a reading of Gulliver’s Travels, suggesting that Swift’s capacity for fable and invention enabled him to practise a literary philosophy.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Philosophy
  • Edited by Joseph Hone, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Pat Rogers, University of South Florida
  • Book: Jonathan Swift in Context
  • Online publication: 02 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108917254.043
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  • Philosophy
  • Edited by Joseph Hone, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Pat Rogers, University of South Florida
  • Book: Jonathan Swift in Context
  • Online publication: 02 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108917254.043
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.

  • Philosophy
  • Edited by Joseph Hone, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Pat Rogers, University of South Florida
  • Book: Jonathan Swift in Context
  • Online publication: 02 May 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108917254.043
Available formats
×