Abstract

© 2013 The Editors of The Philosophical QuarterlyExperimental results on the variability and intra‐personal instability of philosophical intuitions have recently sparked a lively methodological debate about the reliability of the philosophical method. In his new book, Herman Cappelen argues that this entire debate is misguided. The reason is simple: philosophers don't rely on intuitions, so there is no reason for philosophers to worry about their reliability. Cappelen's case for this claim amounts to one of the most original and well‐argued contributions to recent discussions about philosophical methodology. His book should be essential reading for anyone interested in the debate.Cappelen's book is in two parts, both centred on a claim he refers to as Centrality: ‘Contemporary analytic philosophers rely on intuitions as evidence for philosophical theories’. The first part rejects an argument attempting to support Centrality with reference to...