With this volume, we present a collection of writings, each offering their own novel perspective regarding the question of realism. Realism has undoubtedly attracted a lot of attention during recent philosophical debates, and one of its characteristic aspects that has made the most notable impact is the way it challenges rigid traditional demarcations between “continental” and “analytic” philosophy. We maintain that there is still much more to be said on the matter and that a renewal of the discussion on realism is necessary and should bypass old divisions. Therefore, this volume offers a contribution to some of the many discussions on the subject without entirely departing from the “old” realism and without treating its object of study as something that can be created ex nihilo. Instead, this work is based on the broadly shared conviction that a certain historicism cannot be left out of the picture if we are to reposition realism and see its present or future as yet to be determined rather than set in stone.
Luca Taddio has been Adjunct Professor of Aesthetics at the universities of Udine, Trieste and Ferrara, where he now teaches. He has curated and personally supervised several series including “Volti”, “Estetica e Architettura” and “Sx/Quaderni Fortuna”. He has edited several books, including P. Bozzi, Un mondo sotto osservazione; W. James, Empirismo radicale; E. Severino, La guerra e il mortale and the volume of aesthetics of architecture Costruire Abitare e Pensare. He published Spazi immaginali (2004), Fenomenologia eretica (2011), L’affermazione dell’architettura (with Damiano Cantone, 2011), Global Revolution (2012), I due misteri (2012), Verso un nuovo realismo (2013).
Table of contents
The Metaphysical Scope of New Realism: Confronting Eco’s and Parrini’s Strictures Mario Alai
The Hegelian Spirit of Jamesian Truth: A New Old Realism Ira Allen
A Brief History of New Realism Maurizio Ferraris
Hermeneutic Realism and the Existence of Theoretical Objects Dimitri Ginev
Creeping Up on Things from Behind: The Trouble with Absolute Realism Thibaut Giraud and Raphaël Millière
The Return of Natural Philosophy: The Realist Turn as Synoptic Reconciliation of Philosophy and Science Fabio Gironi
Meillassoux’s Dilemma: Paradoxes of Totality after the Speculative Turn Joshua Heller and Jon Cogburn
New Realism, Pluralism and Science Alexander Kanev
Moral Explanation Through Moral Kinds David Kaspar
Ways of Being Well: Realistic and Unrealistic Wellbeing Andrea Lavazza
On the Relationship Between Realism and Conceptual Relativism Paolo Piccari
Temporality and the Dissolution of Underdetermination Skepticism Ralph Shain