Analytic philosophy: The history of an illusion

Authors

Daniel Hutto, University of Hertfordshire

RIS ID

80487

Publication Details

Hutto, D. (2010). Analytic philosophy: The history of an illusion. Philosophical Investigations, 33 (2 - April), 187-191.

Abstract

Analytic philosophy (AP), some proclaim, is dead or in crisis. It should be so lucky. Its status may be, in fact, much more ephemeral. In this readable and accessible monograph, Preston makes out an interesting and engaging case for the claim that AP has never really existed at all. At first blush this news is a bit hard to swallow. After all there seem to be many, many existing practitioners in our discipline that regard themselves as analytic philosophers and these adherents clearly exert a powerful influence on professional philosophy in Anglophone countries (and this influence is felt elsewhere too, even if only negatively). So, it certainly looks as if there is such a thing as AP, whatever its state of health.