How do you do philosophy? Do you believe according to the evidence? Make inferences? Or conduct a scientific-based thought experiment? Methods in Analytic Philosophy: A Contemporary Reader introduces the core methods at the centre of analytic philosophy today. From armchair conceptual analysis and the role of scientific evidence, to the resurgence of interest in the nature of rational intuitions, it brings together the readings responsible for the recent explosion of methodological work in philosophy. This up-to-date and easy to navigate reader features influential texts from ten core topics including formal methods, argumentation, thought experiments and analytic feminism. Allowing students to better understand the tools, strategies and methods discussed in the readings, each section is clearly introduced by a scholar in that field. Providing the background to each of the texts, they explain the text's significance for the wider debate and include a summary of key points, study questions and an annotated list of further reading.
By reflecting on what philosophy is and how it should be done across a range of subject areas, Methods in Analytic Philosophy: A Contemporary Reader acquaints students with the best techniques of philosophical reasoning.