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Who Needs a World View?

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Who Needs a World View? by Raymond Geuss examines the concept of world views, questioning their necessity and exploring how they have influenced philosophical thought. Geuss challenges the assumption that possessing a coherent world view is essential to understanding the world or living a meaningful life. The book delves into historical and contemporary philosophical discussions, encouraging readers to reconsider the role of world views in their own lives.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you're interested in examining the concept of worldviews and questioning their necessity or usefulness. Engaging in thoughtful analysis, it challenges the assumption that everyone should have a cohesive perspective on the world, making it a fascinating read for those intrigued by philosophy and critical thinking.

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Philosophers—professionals and the armchair variety—are given to defending comprehensive world views. Raymond Geuss, one of the most celebrated thinkers of our time, dispenses with this ambition for intellectual unity. Ranging across the history of art and ideas, Geuss argues for flexibility, doubt, and the accommodation of unresolved complexity.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

One of the world's most provocative philosophers attacks the obsession with comprehensive intellectual systems—the perceived need for a world view.

We live in a unitary cosmos created and cared for in all its details by a benevolent god. That, for centuries, was the starting point for much philosophical and religious thinking in the West. The task was to accommodate ourselves to that view and restrict ourselves to working out how the pieces fit together within a rigidly determined framework. In this collection of essays, one of our most creative contemporary philosophers explores the problems and pathologies of the habit of overly systematic thinking that we have inherited from this past.

Raymond Geuss begins by making a general case for flexible and sceptical thinking with room for doubt and unresolved complexity. He examines the ideas of two of his most influential teachers—one systematic, the other pragmatic—in light of Nietzsche's ideas about appearance and reality. The chapters that follow concern related moral, psychological, and philosophical subjects. These include the idea that one should make one's life a work of art, the importance of games, the concept of need, and the nature of manifestoes. Along the way, Geuss ranges widely, from ancient philosophy to modern art, with his characteristic combination of clarity, acuity, and wit.

Who Needs a World View? is a provocative and enlightening demonstration of what philosophy can achieve when it abandons its ambitions for completeness, consistency, and unity.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Who Needs a World View? by Raymond Geuss is praised for its insightful and thought-provoking essays that challenge conventional wisdom about worldviews. The book is celebrated for its intellectual depth and Geuss's expertise in reviving the classical philosophical essay. His discussions traverse diverse topics, from ancient Greek philosophy to contemporary issues, and encourage a personal rather than dogmatic approach to understanding life. The collection is noted for its resonant, poignant, and sometimes playful insights, showcasing Geuss's scholarly range and mastery in philosophy.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780674245938

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 19 May 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: Harvard University Press

Illustration: 3 illus.

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 363g

Pages: 208

About the Author

Raymond Geuss is Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. His books include Changing the Subject, Reality and Its Dreams, and Who Needs a World View?

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