Normativity, Lifeworld, and Science in Sellars' Synoptic Vision

This book explores the relationship between Wilfrid Sellars's philosophy and 20th-century phenomenology and 21st-century speculative realism to address the problem of personhood in a world devoid of values and norms. It argues that Sellars takes both the framework of persons and science seriously, leading to the need for a stereoscopic vision of reality and our place in it. The book discusses Sellars's views on perception, the "lifeworld," science, normativity, personhood, morality, and process metaphysics and sketches a novel view of what a stereoscopic fusion of the manifest and scientific image would entail in our lifeworld experience.

Format: Hardback
Length: 321 pages
Publication date: 13 April 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

This book is a groundbreaking exploration of contemporary philosophy, combining the insights of Wilfrid Sellars with work in 20th-century phenomenology and 21st-century speculative realism to address one of the most pressing predicaments of our time. The disenchantment of nature in late modernity has posed a significant challenge to philosophy, as it has struggled to account for the place of persons, understood as loci of normative authority and responsibility, within a scientifically, naturalistically described world devoid of values and norms. The book argues that Sellars takes both the framework of persons and science seriously, which implies the need for a reconciliation and fusion of the manifest and scientific images.

One of the central aims of this book is to explore the form that a non-alienated experience of ourselves in the world would take in the Sellarsian cryptic stereoscopic fusion of the manifest and scientific images. Through an extensive discussion of Sellars' relevance for contemporary continental philosophy and phenomenology, in which his views on perception, the commonsense 'lifeworld,' science, normativity, personhood, morality, and process metaphysics are presented and extended, the book sketches a novel view about what a stereoscopic fusion of the manifest and scientific image would amount to at the level of our lifeworld experience.

The book begins by examining Sellars' account of perception, which emphasizes the role of the observer in shaping the world around them. It argues that Sellars' approach to perception is compatible with the scientific image of reality, as it recognizes the importance of scientific observation and experimentation in shaping our understanding of the world. However, the book also highlights the limitations of the scientific image, particularly in its inability to account for the subjective experiences and values that shape our lives.

Next, the book explores Sellars' concept of the 'lifeworld,' which refers to the immediate, experiential world that we inhabit. It argues that Sellars takes the 'lifeworld' seriously as a source of normative authority and responsibility, and that it provides a basis for moral and ethical decision-making. The book also explores Sellars' views on science, which he sees as a valuable tool for understanding the world but not as a source of ultimate truth or morality.

The book then turns to Sellars' concept of normativity, which is based on the idea that there are objective, universal moral principles that govern our behavior. It argues that Sellars' approach to normativity is compatible with the scientific image of reality, as it recognizes the importance of empirical evidence and scientific reasoning in shaping our moral judgments. However, the book also highlights the limitations of Sellars' approach to normativity, particularly in its inability to account for the diversity of moral perspectives and values that exist in the world.

Finally, the book explores Sellars' concept of personhood, which is based on the idea that we are individuals who are defined by our relationships with others and the world around us. It argues that Sellars takes the concept of personhood seriously as a source of normative authority and responsibility, and that it provides a basis for moral and ethical decision-making. The book also explores Sellars' views on morality, which he sees as a product of our social and cultural practices and not as an inherent feature of the natural world.

In conclusion, this book is a groundbreaking exploration of contemporary philosophy, combining the insights of Wilfrid Sellars with work in 20th-century phenomenology and 21st-century speculative realism to address one of the most pressing predicaments of our time. By reconciling and fusing the manifest and scientific images, Sellars provides a novel view about what a non-alienated experience of ourselves in the world would take in the Sellarsian cryptic stereoscopic fusion of the manifest and scientific image. Through an extensive discussion of Sellars' relevance for contemporary continental philosophy and phenomenology, the book sketches a novel view about what a stereoscopic fusion of the manifest and scientific image would amount to at the level of our lifeworld experience. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary philosophy and the challenges posed by the disenchantment of nature in late modernity.

Weight: 560g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031270253
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023