The World Philosophy Made

From Plato to the Digital Age

Scott Soames

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9780691229188
  9780691176925
• eBook ISBN:
  9780691197418
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Philosophy History & Theory

How philosophy transformed human knowledge and the world we live in

Philosophical investigation is the root of all human knowledge. Developing new concepts, reinterpreting old truths, and reconceptualizing fundamental questions, philosophy has progressed—and driven human progress—for more than two millennia. In short, we live in a world philosophy made. In this concise history of philosophy's world-shaping impact, Scott Soames demonstrates that the modern world—including its science, technology, and politics—simply would not be possible without the accomplishments of philosophy.

Firmly rebutting the misconception of philosophy as ivory-tower thinking, Soames traces its essential contributions to fields as diverse as law and logic, psychology and economics, relativity and rational decision theory. Beginning with the giants of ancient Greek philosophy, The World Philosophy Made chronicles the achievements of the great thinkers, from the medieval and early modern eras to the present. It explores how philosophy has shaped our language, science, mathematics, religion, culture, morality, education, and politics, as well as our understanding of ourselves.

Philosophy's idea of rational inquiry as the key to theoretical knowledge and practical wisdom has transformed the world in which we live. From the laws that govern society to the digital technology that permeates modern life, philosophy has opened up new possibilities and set us on more productive paths. The World Philosophy Made explains and illuminates as never before the inexhaustible richness of philosophy and its influence on our individual and collective lives.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Introduction
• Timeline
• 1. The Dawn of Western Philosophy
• 2. A Truce between Faith and Reason
• 3. The Beginnings of Modern Science
• 4. Free Societies, Free Markets, and Free People
• 5. Modern Logic and the Foundations of Mathematics
• 6. Logic, Computation, and the Birth of the Digital Age
• 7. The Science of Language
• 8. The Science of Rational Choice
• 9. Mind, Body, and Cognitive Science
• 10. Philosophy and Physics
• 11. Liberty, Justice, and the Good Society
• 12. Laws, Constitutions, and the State
• 13. The Objectivity of Morality
• 14. Virtue, Happiness, and Meaning in the Face of Death
• Appendix: The Noble Deaths of Socrates and David Hume
• Bios of Leading Figures
• Acknowledgments
• Notes
• References
• Index