Abstract

Metaphilosophy is an ever-growing field of research and is on the verge of forming another philosophical sub-discipline; whether this a welcome development or a further sign of decadence remains debatable. This review-article presents and critiques several different metaphilosophical (and even some meta-metaphilosophical) approaches, arising from and targeting different traditions. One pervading issue being the choice and justification of both texts and criteria: in developing either descriptive or normative accounts, authors implicitly or explicitly rely on perspectives, concepts and norms which inform their criticisms and proposals – but without a justification of these metaphilosophical presuppositions, the positions themselves are in danger of losing their grounding. What emerges from such reflections is a heap of critical questions and an uneasy pluralism of problematic positions – as is good and proper for philosophy.Maria Dätwyler, Im Auftrag der Wahrheit. Paderborn: Mentis, 2021. 222 S. (IAW) – Logi Gunnarson, Vernunft und Temperament. Eine Philosophie der Philosophie. Paderborn: Mentis, 2020. 447 S. (VUT) – Philip Kitcher, Whats the Use of Philosophy?. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2023. 216 S. (WUP) – Michael Lewin, Metaphilosophie als einheitliche Disziplin. Berlin: Metzler, 2023. 95 S. (MED) – David Minkin, Rationalität philosophischer Forschung. Grundlagen einer metaphilosophischen Positionierung. Paderborn: Mentis, 2021. 487 S. (RPF) – Nicholas Rescher, Philosophy Examined. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2021. 216 S. (PE) – Timothy Williamson, The Philosophy of Philosophy (Second Edition). Hoboken: Wiley + Sons, 2022. 642 S. (POP)