Philosophical Studies

Moore, G. E. (George Edward), 1873-1958Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.3

Word count: 634K words
Chapters: 64

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Philosophical Studies by G. E. MooreAuthor: Moore, G. E. (George Edward), 1873-1958,Language: English, Class: B: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Release Date: Oct 6, 2015

Editor's review

Philosophical Studies is a collection of philosophical essays by the British philosopher G. E. Moore, embodying his characteristic analytic style: starting from ordinary language and concrete problems, carefully examining concepts, and repeatedly probing the ambiguities in arguments. Unlike systematic philosophical works, these writings resemble a philosopher's item-by-item inspection at the workbench, and are very helpful for training rigor in philosophical thinking. Readers can gain a sense of the problematic concerns and methodological orientation of early twentieth-century analytic philosophy, and the book is especially suitable for readers interested in issues of knowledge, perception, common sense, and linguistic analysis. As a public-domain English e-book from Project Gutenberg, it is easy to obtain free of charge and to consult repeatedly. It should be noted that the discussions rest on the philosophical context of the time, with a high density of terminology and argumentation, and the book is not suitable as an introductory philosophy text to be read straight through.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Philosophy students and researchers, especially in analytic philosophy
Readers interested in epistemology, perception, and common-sense philosophy
Advanced readers seeking to train skills in conceptual analysis and argument analysis
University teachers and students who need original English philosophical texts for course study

Not a good fit for

Absolute beginners with no philosophical background looking for an introductory text
Readers expecting a systematic philosophical overview or popular philosophy
Readers who struggle with English and are unwilling to use supplementary materials

Reading tips

Begin with an introductory text to understand Moore's problem background, then move on to the individual essays.
Read essay by essay in close detail, writing down the steps of the argument as you go to test whether the reasoning holds.
When encountering key concepts, first consult a dictionary of philosophical terms to avoid substituting everyday meanings for technical ones.
Read in comparison with other works of analytic philosophy to appreciate similarities and differences in method.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for philosophy beginners?

Not really. The argumentation is dense and the terminology rests on the philosophical context of the time; without background knowledge it is easy to get bogged down. It is advisable to read an introduction to philosophy or introductory material on analytic philosophy first, then return to this book.

What does Moore mainly discuss in this book?

From the available information, this is a collection of philosophical essays embodying Moore's analytic method, centering on conceptual analysis and concrete philosophical problems. For the specific topics of individual essays, consult the original table of contents; it is advisable to check the contents before arranging your reading order.

What level of English is needed to read this book?

Philosophical English has complex sentence structures and dense terminology, so a good command of academic English reading is recommended. While reading, use dictionaries and Chinese-language philosophical materials: first grasp the structure of the argument, then deal with the details of expression.

Any advice for reading the e-book edition?

This book is a public-domain e-book from Project Gutenberg and can be obtained free of charge. It is advisable to use reading software that supports tables of contents and full-text search, making it easy to jump between essays and look up key concepts.

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About the author

Moore, G. E. (George Edward), 1873-1958 Author

George Edward Moore (G. E. Moore, 1873–1958) was a British philosopher known for his work in ethics and philosophical analysis. Two of his works are held in this collection, his representative works being Principia Ethica and Philosophical Studies. Because public information is limited, the details of his life are difficult to set out in full; yet from the works available it is clear that he focused on the analysis of moral concepts and on philosophical problems in ordinary language, writing with clarity and arguing with care, often advancing discussion by examining the meaning of concepts. Principia Ethica centers on the basic concept of "good" and had a profound influence on twentieth-century metaethics, while Philosophical Studies collects several of his important essays on perception, skepticism, and common sense. His style is rigorous and restrained, attentive to definition and logical distinction, and he laid an important foundation for the tradition of analytic philosophy.