Reflections on the Analytic/Continental Divide

Reflections on the Analytic/Continental Divide

My friends in the English department often ask me to explain the difference I so often talk about between analytic and continental philosophy. For some odd reason they want to relate our discipline with theirs in an effort, maybe, to understand both better. Thus, I welcome the opportunity offered by Schuylkill's general theme this year to give a very general and un-rigorous presentation on Philosophy, intended for the University Community at large.

One fine, if annoying, tradition in philosophy is that of hedging our bets. It's the fine art of being slippery. And we actually think it's motivated by a wish to be exacting. Accordingly, I should begin such a paper by saying that neither analytic nor continental philosophy are truly cohesive, unified, groups; much which seems inconsistent flows under their banner, as does much disagreement. However, today, few groups of any merit are cohesive and unified, if they ever were. Even science isn't unified any more. So much for fine print bordering on the platitudinous.

This paper has four sections. The first section places analytic and continental philosophy within a historical tradition, specifically in relation to Kant. The second details analytic philosophy, particularly with relation to 'the linguistic turn' and 'ordinary language' philosophy. The third juxtaposes what I take to be a continental response in terms of Heidegger's view of language and Foucault's view of power/knowledge, and shows some of the disrepute in which these are held. The last reviews some recent journal articles on the subject, and delivers a summation and prognosis.

I. You all know about the Pre-Socratics, of which I think fondly of Heraclitus, so o...

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