Conatus: THIRD EDITION by Tom Wallace - HTML preview

C O N A T U S

question of accepting the big three as absolute, or rejecting them as relative or arbitrary. There’s something more subtle going on.

Philosophy only asks certain questions, and — like all intellectual enquiry — it has specific views in mind that it is seeking to demonstrate as true. So it could be asked, what are the current theories that people are trying to demonstrate? A prop for a purely materialist interpretation of the universe is one of the common themes, to tie in with modern science. Also, notions of the world as a simulation of some sort or another. And finally, pragmatism, and meanings delivered from the way theories are constructed and the way words are used. Such matters will be touched on throughout the book.

The book starts off by plunging into those big three in more detail. For truth, we are looking to explore the various methods by which we seek for the truth and the various categories of knowledge that result. For beauty — something more profound than simply an aesthetic of prettiness or attractiveness — and indeed, in this work, a lead in to such matters as quality, value and meaning. For goodness we’ll explore ‘meta-ethics’ — the basis of our ethics and morality — and still very much a metaphysical search. And we’ll explore the various theories of morality that are on offer and see if any of them can really provide us with satisfactory answers about how to lead a good life.

With these themes in mind, the running order of the book is determined — truth, beauty, value, goodness.

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