The Philosophical I: Personal Reflections on Life in Philosophy / Edition 328

by George Yancy professor of philosophy,, Nicholas Rescher, Richard Shusterman, Linda Martín Alcoff Hunter College, Lorraine Code York University, Toronto

Overview

Philosophy is shaped by life and life is shaped by philosophy. This is reflected in The Philosophical I, a collection of 16 autobiographical essays by prominent philosophers. Candid and philosophically insightful, these personal narratives critically call into question the belief that philosophy should be kept separate from the personal experience of philosophers. Each contributor traces the fundamental influences-both philosophical and otherwise-that have shaped his or her identity. In this postmodern world, the self is often viewed as irreparably fragmented and fractured, but the reflections in this volume point to a self that is a continuous, though dynamic, storyline. What shines through in each of these essays is that philosophy is a profoundly personal adventure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742513419
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	11/23/2002
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.32(h) x 0.93(d)

About the Author

George Yancy is McAnulty Fellow in the Philosophy Department at Duquesne University. He has published a variety of scholarly articles and reviews. His first two books are African-American Philosophers, 17 Conversations (1998), which was named a Choice Outstanding Academic Book in 1999, and Cornel West: A Critical Reader (2001). He is editing a forthcoming book in which African-American philosophers critically reveal whiteness in terms of its political, normative, socio-cultural, and existential manifestations.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction: Philosophy and the Situated Narrative Self Chapter 2 Regarding Oneself and Seeing Double: Fragments of Autobiography Chapter 3 Philosophy as Work and Politics Chapter 4 Between the Lines of Age Chapter 5 Incongruities Chapter 6 From Amateur to Professional: Constructing a Life in Philosophy Chapter 7 In-Between Love and Wisdom Chapter 8 Between Facticity and Possibility Chapter 9 Red Shift: Politically Embodied/Embodied Politics Chapter 10 Of Philosophy and Guerilla Wars Chapter 11 Philosophy Recovered as Self-Discovery Chapter 12 In Retrospect Chapter 13 At the Intersection of Several Possible Worlds Chapter 14 The Personal Value and Social Usefulness of Philosophy Chapter 15 Fantastic Notions Chapter 16 An Apprentice's Anecdotal Field Notes Chapter 17 Philosophical Adventures

Editorial Reviews

Even among academics, philosophers are an odd bunch; and it's no wonder that most people cannot imagine what it is we do or why we do it. The candor and wit of these essays and the vivid presence of their authors on the page hold and reward the attention of those who are among that odd bunch, while also reaching out to others, who - but for having this book placed in their hands—might never have imagined such a fate for themselves.

Naomi Scheman

The various authors supply vivid and often very moving accounts of the vexed question of affirmative action in universities, of struggles over sexism and racism.... Some of the details of these lives in philosophy are at once amusing, terribly moving and human, all too human. The variety of positions held by the contributors is remarkable, ranging as they do from feminist epistemology and 'standpoint epistemology' to philosophies of race and ethnicity, ethics, philosophy of religion, and pragmatism.

Radical Philosophy

This is a welcome addition to the too-rare genre of contemporary philosophical autobiography. Including a healthy contingent of women and feminists, it is a blessedly varied collection of reminiscences, from young warriors in the profession to elder statesmen.

Robert C. Solomon

A fascinating collection of autobiographies by important philosophers in the United States and Canadian academy. Yancy has brought together philosophers of different races, sexes, temperaments, nationalities, and various career stages to discuss those experiences that have shaped them and their life in philosophy. While many of the contributors do share a penchant for pragmatism, even this similarity takes on an idiosyncratic form for each philosopher. What emerges in this work, then, is a subtle tapestry of multiple philosophical voices: Each philosopher tells his or her own biographical story, and through the combination of these stories we attain a unique perspective on the changing landscape of United States and Canadian academic philosophy of the last 50 years.

Apa Newsletter On Philosophy & The Black Experience

These essays by professional philosophers can serve as a roadmap for students looking for guidance either in their search for a career in philosophy or in areas of future study. The book can also speak to educated general readers who are interested in philosophical issues but do not know how to put them into a context of their own lived experience. Rare is the book tha can speak to such a broad audience. This one can. Recommended.

CHOICE

These essays by professional philosophers can serve as a roadmap for students looking for guidance either in their search for a career in philosophy or in areas of future study. The book can also speak to educated general readers who are interested in philosophical issues but do not know how to put them into a context of their own lived experience. Rare is the book tha can speak to such a broad audience. This one can. Recommended.

Choice Reviews

In various less spectacular ways than documented by tales of the arrogance and oafishness woman philosophers face, these essays drive home the impact of the autobiographical on the philosophical. When philosophers share the details of their lives, the impact extends to the reader.

The Chronicle of Higher Education - Carlin Romano

George Yancy's The Philosophical I humanizes philosophy in the sense of giving philosophy a 'voice.' In giving philosophy a narrative voice, Yancy's text focuses on the flesh and blood human beings who breathe life into philosophy as they heroically confront the social, political, cultural, and other factors that shape the drama of life.

Clevis Headley

A fascinating collection of autobiographies by important philosophers in the United States and Canadian academy. Yancy has brought together philosophers of different races, sexes, temperaments, nationalities, and various career stages to discuss those experiences that have shaped them and their life in philosophy. While many of the contributors do share a penchant for pragmatism, even this similarity takes on an idiosyncratic form for each philosopher. What emerges in this work, then, is a subtle tapestry of multiple philosophical voices: Each philosopher tells his or her own biographical story, and through the combination of these stories we attain a unique perspective on the changing landscape of United States and Canadian academic philosophy of the last 50 years.

APA Newsletter on Philosophy and the Black Experience

In various less spectacular ways than documented by tales of the arrogance and oafishness woman philosophers face, these essays drive home the impact of the autobiographical on the philosophical. When philosophers share the details of their lives, the impact extends to the reader.
— Carlin Romano

The Chronicle Of Higher Education

These essays by professional philosophers can serve as a roadmap for students looking for guidance either in their search for a career in philosophy or in areas of future study. The book can also speak to educated general readers who are interested in philosophical issues but do not know how to put them into a context of their own lived experience. Rare is the book tha can speak to such a broad audience. This one can. Recommended.

Choice

In various less spectacular ways than documented by tales of the arrogance and oafishness woman philosophers face, these essays drive home the impact of the autobiographical on the philosophical. When philosophers share the details of their lives, the impact extends to the reader.
— Carlin Romano

Chronicle of Higher Education