What is Analytic Philosophy?

Analytic philosophy is roughly a hundred years old, and it is now the dominant force within Western philosophy. Interest in its historical development is increasing, but there has hitherto been no sustained attempt to elucidate what it currently amounts to, and how it differs from so-called 'continental' philosophy. Chapter four of Glock's wide-ranging and incisive book What is Analytic Philosophy?, which is entitled «History and Historiography», explores the relationship between analytic philosophy and history. The chapter is presented as a critical examination of the idea that analytic philosophy can be conceived by reference to time since, the suggestion goes, what sets analytic philosophy apart is its attitude to history. But the chapter is also a detailed exploration of a more general (philosophical) question: What attitude should philosophers take towards the history of philosophy, towards the history of ideas, and towards history in general? The answer favoured by Glock to that question is what he calls weak historicism which, he claims, happens to be the attitude taken by most analytic philosophers. In this rich and wide-ranging book, Hans Johann Glock argues that analytic philosophy is a loose movement held together both by ties of influence and by various 'family resemblances'. He considers the pros and cons of various definitions of analytic philosophy, and tackles the methodological, historiographical and philosophical issues raised by such definitions. Finally, he explores the wider intellectual and cultural implications of the notorious divide between analytic and continental philosophy. His book is an invaluable guide for anyone seeking to understand analytic philosophy and how it is practised. – Introduction; – Historical survey; – Geography and language; – History and historiography; – Doctrines and topics; – Method and style; – Ethics and politics; – Contested concepts family resemblances and tradition; – Present and future.