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Having the World in View

Having the World in View

by John Henry McDowell

First published 2008 · 285 pages · about 5 hours to read

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About this book

"A crucial moment came in the developing split between Anglo-American and continental European philosophers when G.E. Moore and Bertrand Russell rebelled against the "Hegelianism" of their teachers and inaugurated the tradition of "analytic" philosophy. In this new book, John McDowell builds on his much discussed Mind and World - one of the most highly regarded books in contemporary philosophy. McDowell, who has long commanded attention for his fresh approach to issues in contemporary epistemology, philosophy of language, and philosophy of mind, shocked some mainstream analytic philosophers in Mind and World by drawing inspiration not only from analytic philosophers but also from continental philosophers, most notably Hegel." "McDowell argues that the roots of some problems plaguing contemporary philosophy can be found in issues that were first discerned by Kant, and that the best way to get a handle on them is to follow those issues as they are reshaped in the writings of Hegel and Sellars. Having the World in View will be a decisive further step toward healing the divisions in contemporary philosophy, by showing how central methods of the two traditions remain deeply entangled and by revealing how philosophers in both camps might still learn from each other."--Jacket.

Will you like it?

Readers of philosophy of mind and epistemology who already know Mind and World will find this collection a continuation of its arguments. It suits those who want to see how Kant, Hegel and Sellars bear on present debates about perception and conceptual content.

  • analytic and continental split
  • the myth of the given
  • kantian legacy
  • hegelian idealism
  • the space of reasons

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Quick answers

What age is Having the World in View for?
Adults.
Is Having the World in View a standalone?
Yes, it stands on its own.
Does Having the World in View have violence, sex or strong language?
Nothing a reader needs warning about.

Written with AI from what's known about the book.

Reader's guide

Themesthe split between traditions, the myth of the given, conceptual capacities and experience, Kantian legacy, Hegelian idealism, the space of reasons

the split between traditions · the myth of the given · conceptual capacities and experience · Kantian legacy · Hegelian idealism · the space of reasons

StyleAcademic philosophical prose in the style of McDowell's other work: dense, argumentative, with long sentences and close engagement with the texts. It is a collection of essays, so each chapter can be read on its own, though the shared themes recur throughout. Expect technical vocabulary and frequent references to earlier philosophers.

Academic philosophical prose in the style of McDowell's other work: dense, argumentative, with long sentences and close engagement with the texts. It is a collection of essays, so each chapter can be read on its own, though the shared themes recur throughout. Expect technical vocabulary and frequent references to earlier philosophers.

How it was writtenJohn McDowell is a philosopher who taught for many years at the University of Pittsburgh and later at Pittsburgh and then Oxford. He published Mind and World in 1994, and Having the World in View, a collection of essays, followed in 2008 from Harvard University Press. It extends the arguments of Mind and World and draws more directly on Hegel and Sellars.

John McDowell is a philosopher who taught for many years at the University of Pittsburgh and later at Pittsburgh and then Oxford. He published Mind and World in 1994, and Having the World in View, a collection of essays, followed in 2008 from Harvard University Press. It extends the arguments of Mind and World and draws more directly on Hegel and Sellars.

How it was receivedThe book is read mainly by philosophers and advanced students working in epistemology, philosophy of mind, and the history of German idealism. It is generally discussed as a sequel to Mind and World and as part of McDowell's effort to bridge analytic and continental approaches.

The book is read mainly by philosophers and advanced students working in epistemology, philosophy of mind, and the history of German idealism. It is generally discussed as a sequel to Mind and World and as part of McDowell's effort to bridge analytic and continental approaches.

Questions to discussDoes McDowell succeed in showing that the analytic and continental traditions share method, or does he mostly reinterpret one side in its own terms?

These may talk about the whole book.

  1. Does McDowell succeed in showing that the analytic and continental traditions share method, or does he mostly reinterpret one side in its own terms?
  2. What is the Myth of the Given, and why does McDowell think a Kantian or Hegelian account of experience avoids it?
  3. How does the idea that experience is already conceptual change the way we understand perception and knowledge?
  4. Is Hegel's idealism a reply to Kant's problems, as McDowell suggests, or a different project that only seems to answer them?
  5. Can philosophers in the analytic tradition learn from Hegel without accepting his metaphysics?
  6. What does it mean to say the world can be 'in view' for us, and how does that differ from a theory of representation?
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