All Talked Out: Naturalism and the Future of Philosophy

193 Pages·2018·1.183 MB·English

by  J. D. Trout

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ALL TALKED OUT
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THE ROMANELL LECTURES
The Romanell- Phi Beta Kappa Professorship, first awarded in 1983, was estab-
lished by an endowment from Patrick and Edna Romanell. Patrick Romanell, a
Phi Beta Kappa member from Brooklyn College, was H. Y. Benedict Professor
of Philosophy at the University of Texas, El Paso. The Phi Beta Kappa Society
administers the Professorship, which takes the form of three lectures given
each year by a distinguished philosopher, at his or her home institution, on a
topic important to an audience beyond professional philosophers. The intent of
this series is to publish the results of those lectures in affordable and accessible
editions.
Also published in the series
What Do Philosophers Do?
Skepticism and the Practice of Philosophy
Penelope Maddy
Tragic Failures
How and Why We Are Harmed by Toxic Chemicals
Carl F. Cranor
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ALL TALKED OUT
Naturalism and the Future of Philosophy
J.D. Trout
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1
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CIP data is on file at the Library of Congress
ISBN 978–0–19–068680–2
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Printed by Sheridan Books, Inc., United States of America
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To Norma Brandt Reichling
for her magical presence
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CONTENTS
Preface  xi
I. Introduction: The Shape of Evidence- Based
Epistemology  1
1. Where We Are: An Overview  1
2. Naturalism as a Hypothesis  6
3. How Did We Get Here?  12
4. A Better Alternative: Strategic Reliabilism?  17
5. Ameliorative Psychology and Better
Reasoning  25
6. Conclusion  33
II. Good Reasoning and Evidence- Based
Epistemology  37
1. The Limits of Reasoning  37
2. Standard Analytic Epistemology
and Professional Philosophy  41
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Contents
3. The Failure of Constructive Philosophy  46
4. Th e Department of Things I Find Really
Cool to Think About  51
5. Strategic Reliabilism: Philosophy as Coach  58
6. Conclusion  64
III. The Natural Limits of Explanation  67
1. Owning Up to Human Limitations  67
2. The Delicate Feeling of Explaining  72
3. Understanding and the “Aha!” Moment  85
4. The Romanticized View of Insight  87
5. Creepy Truths and Estrangement: Fluency,
Narrative Coherence, and Explanation  91
6. Conclusion  101
IV. Taking People as We Find Them: Philosophy
and Evidence- Based Policy  102
1. Introduction  102
2. Do Inheritors Deserve Their Bequests?
Inheritance and the Luck Subsidy  106
3. The Science of Happiness and a Utilitarian
Argument for Redistribution  115
4. A Modest Proposal: Getting Rid of
the House Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology  123
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Contents
5. Outside Strategies and the Dangers
of Complicated Rules: The Index
of Honesty  133
6. Conclusion  142
Notes  145
References  155
Index  163
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