http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/1863123

Symbolism and truth : an introd. to the theory of knowledge

"The theory of knowledge, occupying as it does the borderland between psychology, logic, and metaphysics, is a peculiarly difficult subject to isolate and study in itself. The materials are widely scattered through philosophical literature, discussions of the problems appear in works of the most diverse character, and any one who attempts to single out the essential questions will be sure to omit some that are important in the eyes of many people and to include others that might be omitted. He will place his emphasis somewhere, with the result that he will fail to stress points that perhaps equally deserve emphasis. By way of remedy therefore he ought to indicate his angle of approach and call attention to what he believes are the major gaps in his treatment. The positive or descriptive theory of knowledge of the first seven chapters, which attempts cautiously to thread its way between psychology and metaphysics, is no doubt allied to the type of philosophy known in Germany as phnomenologie. Metaphysical ideas are kept as far as possible in the background. Speculations concerning the relation of knowledge to an ultimate reality, that is, the issues of idealism and realism, of gnosticism and agnosticism, of monism and pluralism, of the final validity of intuition as opposed to reason, are postponed until the last chapter; for a theory of the relation of knowledge to reality can be successfully held only after the ground has been cleared by an analysis of knowledge as a phenomenon"--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).

Open All Close All