Single Idea 6881

[catalogued under 1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 7. Limitations of Analysis]

Full Idea

Critics of analytic philosophers accuse them of excessive attention to relatively unimportant matters, and of being more interested in sharpening tools than in using them.

Gist of Idea

Analytic philosophy studies the unimportant, and sharpens tools instead of using them

Source

Thomas Mautner (Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy [1996], p.111)

Book Reference

Mautner,Thomas: 'Dictionary of Philosophy' [Penguin 1997], p.111


A Reaction

The last part is a nice comment. Both criticisms seem to me to contain some justice, but recently things have improved (notably in the new attention paid by analytical philosophy to metaphysics). In morality analytic philosophy seems superior.