Ancients and moderns alike have constructed arguments and assessed theories on the basis of common sense and intuitive judgments. Yet, despite the important role intuitions play in philosophy, there has been little reflection on fundamental questions concerning the sort of data intuitions provide, how they are supposed to lead us to the truth, and why we should treat them as important. In addition, recent psychological research seems to pose serious challenges to traditional intuition-driven philosophical inquiry. Rethinking Intuition brings together a distinguished group of philosophers and psychologists to discuss these important issues. Students and scholars in both fields will find this book to be of great value. ~ Book Description

Table of Contents

• • Preface   
  • Introduction   
  • 1    "Rethinking Intuition": A Historical and Metaphilosophical Introduction    3
  • 2    Family Resemblances: Studies in the Internal Structure of Categories    17
  • 3    The Psychology of Intuition    45
  • 4    Philosophical Intuitions and Cognitive Mechanisms    59
  • 5    Whose Concepts Are They, Anyway? The Role of Philosophical Intuition in Empirical Psychology    75
  • 6    Reflective Equilibrium, Analytic Epistemology and the Problem of Cognitive Diversity    95
  • 7    Reflection on Reflective Equilibrium    113
  • 8    The Role of Intuition in Philosophical Inquiry: An Account with No Unnatural Ingredients    129
  • 9    Philosophical Intuitions and Psychological Theory    143
  • 10    Prototypes and Conceptual Analysis    161
  • 11    Philosophical Theory and Intuitional Evidence    179
  • 12    Intuition and the Autonomy of Philosophy    201
  • 13    Rationality and Intellectual Self-Trust    241
  • 14    Minimal Intuition    257
  • 15    Southern Fundamentalism and the End of Philosophy    271
  • 16    Why Bother with Reflective Equilibrium?    293
  • Reference List    311
  • Index    327
  • About the Contributors    333