Abstract

§ 1. Apparent philosophical disagreement: a philosophical problem. Philosophers are frequently criticized for their remarkable inability to reach consensus. “‘The same problems,’ we hear it often, ‘the same disputes, the same sheer failure. Why not abandon it and come out? Is there nothing else more worth your labour?’”. In science there are established results and generally accepted theories. Philosophy, by contrast, seems to breed only disagreement and controversy. Unless philosophers are simply a peculiarly argumentative lot, we are told, the fact that philosophy is marked by widespread disagreement must indicate something about the nature of the philosophical enterprise. And the usual conclusion is that either it is intrinsically flawed or it is not as it has appeared to be, a search for truth.