Creativity and Common Sense

Essays in Honor of Paul Weiss

Edited by Thomas Krettek, SJ

Series: SUNY series in Philosophy
Paperback : 9780887064470, 319 pages, July 1987
Hardcover : 9780887064463, 319 pages, July 1987

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Description

Paul Weiss is one of the two or three most original and creative philosophers and metaphysicians in America today. Creativity and Common Sense reveals why. It contains fourteen recent articles on the thought of Paul Weiss by authors who are most familiar with his writings, including an essay by Charles Hartshorne that provides a unique perspective on Weiss by one who has known him for his entire career. Weiss is shown to be one of the very few contemporary philosophers who examines every area of concern to philosophy and does so on the basis of ontological insights regarding the ultimate elements of reality. He begins his philosophical consideration with the evidences offered by the world of common sense and seeks to provide an adequate and comprehensive account of what he finds there.

The contributors to this collection present and examine many of Weiss' strategic insights. They help clarify key elements in his thought and thereby contribute to an appreciation and understanding of his work. They also make evident the importance of Weiss' insights for resolving vexing questions in such diverse areas as the philosophy of science, philosophical methodology, ethics, aesthetics, the philosophy of the human person, and the philosophy of language.

This collection makes a significant contribution to the development of Weissian scholarship and to the growing appreciation of the significance of his thought for the discussions of contemporary philosophy.

Reviews

"This is a collection in which the whole is more than the sum of the parts because of the cumulative effect of seeing Weiss' philosophy refracted through a number of other perspectives. On the whole, the essays are sympathetic and perceptive in their dealings with Weiss' ideas and accomplishments; at the same time, many offer significant criticisms of and alternatives to his views. " — Peter Limper