 "You cannot think
about the great questions of philosophy without
getting involved in inescapable matters of detail. To acquire an
understanding of meaning and truth, you will therefore find us thinking
about the meaning and use of the definite article "the ", or about
whether one can understand Aa without understanding Ba or Ab. When we
try to unravel the mysteries of syntax and computation, you will find
us experimenting with the operator Adbmal, ender of scope. Theoretical
philosophy involves not only conceiving daring ideas, but also careful,
patient analysis, employing insights and methods from the sciences, if
necessary."
"In modern societies, moral conflicts relate especially to new
developments in the life sciences, new technologies, the protection of
the environment and central institutions. These conflicts challenge
basic moral intuitions, such as human dignity, the moral status of
human beings and the value of solidarity. Against the background of
broad traditions in moral and political philosophy, ethics research at
Utrecht University examines the possibilities of justifying moral
judgments in current debates, such as those in bio-ethics and political
ethics."
"Recent discussions on national or European cultural identity and canon
formation, as well as debates on the scope and applicability of a
concept such as “Enlightenment”, have made it very clear that
intellectual history – including the history of philosophy – is much
more than a pastime for specialists, with no practical relevance.
Indeed, many contemporary philosophical debates are firmly rooted in
the philosophical tradition. In such cases, adding a historical
perspective is often illuminating. Recent decades have witnessed rather
spectacular developments in the philosophical historiography of
particular periods; one may think here of Hellenistic and late
antiquity philosophy and seventeenth- and eighteenth century thinking.
Our research in Utrecht has made a significant contribution to these
developments. Utrecht's approach is distinctive in its focus on the
Sitz im Leben of the philosophical tradition, i.e., on the relations
between philosophy on the one hand and the sciences, religion and
society on the other hand. " |
