The Philosophy of 'As if': A System of the Theoretical, Practical and Religious Fictions of Mankind (German: Die Philosophie des Als Ob) is a 1911 book by the German philosopher Hans Vaihinger, based on his dissertation of 1877.[1] The work for which Vaihinger is best known, it was published in an English translation by C. K. Ogden in 1924.[2] In 1935, a revised and abbreviated English translation by Ogden was published. The revised translation was based on the sixth German edition of the original work.[3]
The Philosophy of 'As if': A System of the Theoretical, Practical and Religious Fictions of Mankind
Within a philosophical framework of epistemology, the book argues for false premises or false assumptions as a viable cognitiveheuristic. For example, simplified models used in the physical sciences are often formally false, but nevertheless close enough to the truth to furnish useful insight; this is understood as a form of idealization.
Vaihinger begins with an autobiography, discussing the origins of his philosophical ideas. He writes that he chose the title The Philosophy of 'As If because "it seemed to me to express more convincingly than any other possible title" his view that, "appearance, the consciously-false, plays an enormous part in science, in world-philosophies and in life."[4]
The book presents an epistemology as well as a practical world and life view. Vaihinger describes human knowledge as erroneous and contradictory and asks how to explain the fact that one can still arrive at the right thing based on these false assumptions. Vaihinger's answer is that the assumptions are a practically useful fiction, and that knowledge can therefore only be pragmatically substantiated by the success that is achieved in its application. Religious and metaphysical views, like logic, are not true in an objective sense, since this cannot be established. Instead, the question had to be asked whether it was useful to act "as if" they were true.
The Philosophy of 'As if' influenced both Sándor Ferenczi since his 1913 letter to Sigmund Freud,[5] and Alfred Adler in his 1912 book Über den nervösen Charakter. Grundzüge einer vergleichenden Individualpsychologie und Psychotherapie (English translation: The Neurotic Constitution. Outlines of a Comparative Individualistic Psychology and Psychotherapy).[6][7] Though it contained the first use of the term "logical positivism", the logical positivists were generally dismissive of the work.[1] The philosopher Moritz Schlick wrote that Vaihinger's description of his philosophy as a form of "idealist positivism" was one of its many contradictions.[8]
The American journalist H. L. Mencken was scathing in his criticism of the book, which he dismissed as an unimportant "foot-note to all existing systems".[9] Michael J. Inwood writes that Vaihinger's theory "involves familiar, though not necessarily insurmountable, difficulties". He finds it open to criticism on the grounds that it involves a covert appeal to a non-pragmatic concept of truth. He also notes that the theory implies that claims about the utility of holding doctrines and even the theory itself are no more than useful fictions.[10]
In his biography, Philosopher at Large, Mortimer J. Adler notes that this book was one of his influences on his first book, Dialectic.[11]
Die Philosophie des Als Ob 7th, 8th ed. in German (1922), at archive.org
January 01, 1970
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The Philosophy of As if A System of the Theoretical Practical and Religious Fictions of Mankind German Die Philosophie des Als Ob is a 1911 book by the German philosopher Hans Vaihinger based on his dissertation of 1877 1 The work for which Vaihinger is best known it was published in an English translation by C K Ogden in 1924 2 In 1935 a revised and abbreviated English translation by Ogden was published The revised translation was based on the sixth German edition of the original work 3 The Philosophy of As if A System of the Theoretical Practical and Religious Fictions of MankindTitle page of the German editionAuthorHans VaihingerOriginal titleDie Philosophie des Als ObCountryGermanyLanguageGermanSubjectsEpistemologyImmanuel KantPublished1911 Reuther amp Reichard in German 1924 Harcourt Brace in English Media typePrint Hardcover and Paperback Pages368 1968 Routledge edition ISBN978 1508663751 Within a philosophical framework of epistemology the book argues for false premises or false assumptions as a viable cognitive heuristic For example simplified models used in the physical sciences are often formally false but nevertheless close enough to the truth to furnish useful insight this is understood as a form of idealization Contents 1 Summary 2 Reception 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksSummary editVaihinger begins with an autobiography discussing the origins of his philosophical ideas He writes that he chose the title The Philosophy of As If because it seemed to me to express more convincingly than any other possible title his view that appearance the consciously false plays an enormous part in science in world philosophies and in life 4 The book presents an epistemology as well as a practical world and life view Vaihinger describes human knowledge as erroneous and contradictory and asks how to explain the fact that one can still arrive at the right thing based on these false assumptions Vaihinger s answer is that the assumptions are a practically useful fiction and that knowledge can therefore only be pragmatically substantiated by the success that is achieved in its application Religious and metaphysical views like logic are not true in an objective sense since this cannot be established Instead the question had to be asked whether it was useful to act as if they were true Reception editSee also Metapsychology Freud and the als ob problem The Philosophy of As if influenced both Sandor Ferenczi since his 1913 letter to Sigmund Freud 5 and Alfred Adler in his 1912 book Uber den nervosen Charakter Grundzuge einer vergleichenden Individualpsychologie und Psychotherapie English translation The Neurotic Constitution Outlines of a Comparative Individualistic Psychology and Psychotherapy 6 7 Though it contained the first use of the term logical positivism the logical positivists were generally dismissive of the work 1 The philosopher Moritz Schlick wrote that Vaihinger s description of his philosophy as a form of idealist positivism was one of its many contradictions 8 The American journalist H L Mencken was scathing in his criticism of the book which he dismissed as an unimportant foot note to all existing systems 9 Michael J Inwood writes that Vaihinger s theory involves familiar though not necessarily insurmountable difficulties He finds it open to criticism on the grounds that it involves a covert appeal to a non pragmatic concept of truth He also notes that the theory implies that claims about the utility of holding doctrines and even the theory itself are no more than useful fictions 10 In his biography Philosopher at Large Mortimer J Adler notes that this book was one of his influences on his first book Dialectic 11 See also editFictionalismReferences edit a b Fine A 1993 Fictionalism Midwest Studies in Philosophy 18 1 1 18 Kuehn Manfred 1999 Audi Robert ed The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy Cambridge Cambridge University Press p 947 ISBN 0 521 63722 8 Ogden C K Vaihinger Hans 1968 The Philosophy of As if London Routledge p v Vaihinger Hans 1968 The Philosophy of As If Fakenham Cox amp Wyman Ltd pp xxiii xlviii Freud Sigmund Ferenczi Sandor Brabant Eva 1993 Brabant Eva Falzeder Ernst Giampieri Deutsch Patrizia eds The Correspondence of Sigmund Freud and Sandor Ferenczi Volume 1 1908 1914 Harvard University Press p 498 ISBN 978 0 674 17418 4 Adler Alfred 2013 1912 The Neurotic Constitution Outlines of a Comparative Individualistic Psychology and Psychotherapy Abingdon on Thames Routledge ISBN 978 1 136 33037 7 passim a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a External link in code class cs1 code quote code help Szasz Thomas S 1977 The Myth of Mental Illness Frogmore Paladin Books p 225 Schlick Moritz 1981 Hanfling Oswald ed Essential Readings in Logical Positivism Oxford Basil Blackwell p 87 ISBN 0 63112566 3 Mencken H L 1924 Philosophers as Liars The American Mercury October Vol III No 10 pp 253 255 Quote p 255 Inwood M J 2005 Honderich Ted ed The Oxford Companion to Philosophy Oxford Oxford University Press p 941 ISBN 0 19926479 1 Adler Mortimer J 1977 Philosopher at Large New York McMillan p 91 ISBN 0 02 500490 5 External links editDie Philosophie des Als Ob 7th 8th ed in German 1922 at archive org Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Philosophy of 27As if 27 amp oldid 1152767483, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
