Cancelled: Stockholm Philosophy Colloquium: Helen Beebee (Leeds)

Exceptionalism: Consensus and Belief in Philosophy

Lecture

Date:

Thursday 12 December 2024

Time:

12.00 – 12.45

Location:

D315

Abstract

According to me, philosophy aims to figure out which philosophical theories are tenable — as opposed to true — since there may be several theories of the same phenomenon between which there is no way to rationally decide.

This position raises a question of ‘exceptionalism’: does philosophy differ from other disciplines, in particular the sciences, in this regard; and, if so, is that a problem?

In this talk, I argue that the answer to the first question is ’yes and no’, depending on which other discipline philosophy is being compared to; and the answer to the second question is ’no’. So the threat of exceptionalism isn’t a problem for my view.