In the space of reasons : selected essays of Wilfrid Sellars

Wilfrid Sellars (1912-1989) was, in the opinion of many, the most important American philosopher of the second half of the twentieth century. He was, Richard Rorty writes, "as original a mind as C. S. Peirce, and it has taken almost as long for the importance of his ideas to be appreciated." This collection, coedited by Sellars's chief interpreter and intellectual heir, should do much to elucidate and clearly establish the significance of this difficult thinker's vision for contemporary philosophy. The volume presents the most readable of Sellars's essays in a sequence that illuminates what Robert Brandom calls the "inferentialist" conception of meaning at the heart of his work. This conception, laid out in the early essays, is deployed in various epistemological contexts throughout the book so that, upon arriving at the concluding papers on Kant, the reader has been given a __tour d'horizon__ not only of the central topics of philosophy of mind and language, but of much of the history of philosophy as well--and, with this, a sense of what a shifting of analytic philosophy from its Humean into its Kantian stage would entail. The Volume Presents The Most Readable Of Wilfrid Sellars's Essays In A Sequence That Illuminates What Robert Brandom Calls The Inferentialist Conception Of Meaning At The Heart Of His Work. This Conception, Laid Out In The Early Essays, Is Deployed In Various Epistemological Contexts Throughout The Book So That, Upon Arriving At The Concluding Papers On Kant, The Reader Has Been Given A Tour D'horizon Not Only Of The Central Topics Of Philosophy Of Mind And Language, But Of Much Of The History Of Philosophy As Well - And, With This, A Sense Of What A Shifting Of Analytic Philosophy From Its Humean Into Its Kantian Stage Would Entail.--book Jacket. Inference And Meaning -- Some Reflections On Language Games -- Language As Thought And As Communication -- Meaning As Functional Classification : A Perspective On The Relation Of Syntax To Semantics -- Naming And Saying -- Grammar And Existence : A Preface To Ontology -- Abstract Entities -- Being And Being Known -- The Lever Of Archimedes -- Some Reflections On Thoughts And Things -- Mental Events -- Phenomenalism -- The Identity Approach To The Mind-body Problem -- Philosophy And The Scientific Image Of Man -- ...this I Or He Or It (the Thing) Which Thinks... -- Some Remarks On Kant's Theory Of Experience -- The Role Of Imagination In Kant's Theory Of Experience. Edited By Kevin Scharp, Robert B. Brandom. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [469]-471) And Index.