Analogical InvestigationsWestern philosophy and science are responsible for constructing some powerful tools of investigation, aiming at discovering the truth, delivering robust explanations, verifying conjectures, showing that inferences are sound and demonstrating results conclusively. By contrast reasoning that depends on analogies has often been viewed with suspicion. Professor Lloyd first explores the origins of those Western ideals, criticises some of their excesses and redresses the balance in favour of looser, admittedly non-demonstrative analogical reasoning. For this he takes examples both from ancient Greek and Chinese thought and from the materials of recent ethnography to show how different ancient and modern cultures have developed different styles of reasoning. He also develops two original but controversial ideas, that of semantic stretch (to cast doubt on the literal/metaphorical dichotomy) and the multidimensionality of reality (to bypass the realism versus relativism and nature versus nurture controversies). |
Contents
List of diagrams page | 1 |
On the very possibility of mutual intelligibility | 10 |
The multiple valences of comparatism | 29 |
some firstorder | 43 |
Analogies as heuristic | 58 |
Diagrams | 59 |
Euclid Elements i 5 page | 62 |
Alternative Proof of Euclid i 5 | 63 |
Sam Loyds puzzle | 66 |
Sam Loyd Juniors variation | 67 |
Kepler Paralipomena to Witelo ch 4 | 69 |
Hexagram 27 Yi | 76 |
Ontologies revisited | 88 |
Conclusions | 109 |
Glossary of Chinese terms | 122 |
| 136 | |
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Analogical Investigations: Historical and Cross-cultural Perspectives on ... G. E. R. Lloyd No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
analogies ancient Greek animals answer argued argument Aristotelian Aristotle Aristotle’s assumptions Atran basic century bce certainly chapter China Chinese mathematics claim classification colour comparatism concerned contexts contrast correlations cosmological course criticised culture Daodejing definition depend Descola’s Diagram discussion earth Erya especially ethics ethnographic Euclid example explorations fundamental genera genus geometry Greece Greek and Chinese Greek mathematics groups heuristic Huainanzi Hui Shi human ideal identified images insist investigations issues judgement Kepler kinds L¨ushi chunqiu Liezi Liu Hui Lloyd mathematicians mathematics means Mencius metaphorical method modern modes moral multidimensionality namely natural language notion ontological regimes ontology particular perception phenomena philosophical physical plants Plato political possible Posterior Analytics problem question reality recognise relations resemblances Sam Loyd semantic stretch sense similarities and differences social societies substances suggest Theophrastus theory things thought understanding univocity Viveiros Viveiros de Castro Xunzi Zhuangzi zoological