NDPR review of a new book The Logic of Being: Realism, Truth, and Time by Paul Livingston. This is, odd.
I know that in recent years analytic philosophy has, well, "analyticized" metaphysics, and then ethics, and then began on Continental philosophy - knowing perhaps that the history of analytic philosophy itself was too boring of a subject to dwell upon, and its traditional subjects of philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and all things logic - as practiced by analytic philosophers, at least (and I love logic, by the way) weren't grabbing many converts. Keep in mind that this is also not to say that all of analytic philosophy is that bad. It's not. Quine's From a Logical Point of View, abit of Wittgenstein here and there, even the history of mathematical logic whether in Frege or today by the mighty Paul Benacerraf. I mustn't forget that I will be running an independent study on the topic of mathematical logic as well. So it is not like it is outright disdain.
So, at first the analytics started on Deleuze. Then it was Hegel. And now, their arch-nemesis himself, Martin Heidegger.
Yes, my friends. We live in times when an author writes about Heidegger and Frege in the same book. Again, not that in itself this is necessarily evil or wrong. It's just that, ugh.
I do appreciate the clarity of the book and for years have argued that, indeed, ambiguity is not the hallmark of Continental philosophy, nor impenetrable language for the sake of it. Rather, even if the writing style is more prosaic - the topics of ethics, politics, values, power and knowledge, etc. are intrinsic to philosophers in this tradition rather than found as passing topics of curious interest. My experience is that whatever analytic philosophy might mean, its general approach is ok with me - but just not how that approach is actually pulled off sometimes.
Anyway, link to the review HERE.
