Timothy Williamson Bücher

What does 'if' mean? It is one of the most commonly used words in the English language, in itself a sign to the importance of conditional thinking to human cognitive life. We make conditional statements, ask conditional questions, and issue conditional orders. We need to think and talk conditionally for many purposes, from everyday decision-making to mathematical proof. Yet the meaning of conditionals has been debated for thousands of years. Suppose and Tell brings together ideas from philosophy, linguistics, and psychology to present a controversial new approach to understanding conditionals. It argues that in using 'if' we rely on psychological heuristics, methods which are fast and frugal and mostly, but not always, reliable. As a result philosophers and linguists have been led astray in theorizing about conditionals through trusting faulty data generated by such methods and prematurely rejecting simple theories on the basis of merely apparent counterexamples. This book shows how one such simple theory of conditionals can explain the data, and draws wider implications for the nature of meaning and its non-transparency to native speakers, vagueness in thought and language, and the need for semantics to attend to the unreliable heuristics underlying our judgments

Timothy Williamson presents a compelling argument for viewing philosophy as a non-natural science, challenging traditional narratives shaped by naturalism and postmodernism. By clarifying misconceptions about philosophical methodology, he redefines the self-image of philosophy and its evolution from non-philosophical pursuits. The second edition expands on the original work with new discussions on analytic philosophy, experimental philosophy, and the application of scientific methods, alongside autobiographical insights and responses to critiques, making it essential for scholars and students alike.

Exploring the nature of norms and values, this book posits that they can be understood and described like other aspects of reality. It compiles and elaborates on Timothy Williamson's extensive research on normativity and value, offering a comprehensive examination of how these concepts function within philosophical discourse.

Is philosophy a unique discipline, or are its methods more like those of other sciences than many philosophers think? Timothy Williamson explains clearly and concisely how contemporary philosophers think and work, and reflects on their powers and limitations.

Timothy Williams was selected by The Observer as one of the “10 Best Modern European Crime Writers” for his series featuring Northern Italian police detective Piero Trotti. Now, 20 years after his last investigation, Trotti returns! After decades as a police detective in his Northern Italian hometown on the River Po, Commissario Piero Trotti has retired. But retirement brings him no respite. An old friend calls him to Siena to give him urgent news: a notorious hit man has returned to Italy to kill Trotti. The former inspector isn’t surprised to learn of the vendetta against him; Trotti has plenty of skeletons in his closet. His mistaken accusations and failed gambles have cost innocent lives in the course of his investigations. Though Trotti carries the burden of these deaths with him each day, now someone else has appeared to enact his own, long-awaited retribution. Traveling across Italy to escape his pursuer, Trotti revisits his own past and searches for clues to the cold-case murder of Valerio Gracchi, a leftist radical who became a national media sensation. But even the right answers may not save Trotti and his loved ones.

To nietypowe wprowadzenie do współczesnej filozofii skupia się na omówieniu jej metod, a nie chlubnego dorobku. Zakładając brak wcześniejszej wiedzy, książka w sposób zrozumiały opisuje, jak myślą i pracują dzisiejsi filozofowie, dlaczego to robią, dlaczego robią to tak a nie inaczej, oraz czy wynika z tego coś pożytecznego. Autor, wybitny oksfordzki filozof, omawia m.in. koncepcję teorii filozoficznych oraz możliwość ich testowania dzięki eksperymentom myślowym, przedstawię praktykę i metody filozoficznego sporu, rolę klaryfikacji pojęć, różnych sposobów inferencji logicznej i budowania modeli filozoficznych. Wywód obrazują liczne przykłady z historii filozofii, przedstawiające sukcesy i niepowodzenia filozoficznego myślenia.