Moore George Edward - Some Main Problems of Philosophy

Muirhead Library of Philosophy

SOME MAIN PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY

MUIRHEAD

Muirhead Library of Philosophy

20TH CENTURY PHILOSOPHY

In 22 Volumes

First published 1953 by

George Allen & Unwin Ltd

Published 2013 by Routledge

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Some Main Problems of Philosophy

ISBN 978-0-415-29552-9

20th Century Philosophy: 22 Volumes

ISBN 0-415-29526-2

Muirhead Library of Philosophy: 95 Volumes

ISBN 0-415-27897-X

MUIRHEAD LIBRARY OF PHILOSOPHY

An admirable statement of the aims of the Library of Philosophy was provided by the first editor, the late Professor J. H. Muirhead, in his description of the original programme printed in Erdmanns History of Philosophy under the date 1890. This was slightly modified in subsequent volumes to take the form of the following statement :

The Library of Philosophy was designed as a contribution to the History of Modern Philosophy under the heads: first of different Schools of ThoughtSensationalist, Realist, Idealist, Intuitivist; secondly of different SubjectsPsychology, Ethics, TEsthetics, Political Philosophy, Theology. While much had been done in England in tracing the course of evolution in nature, history, economics, morals and religion, little had been done in tracing the development of thought on these subjects. Yet the evolution of opinion is part of the whole evolution.

By the co-operation of different writers in carrying out this plan it was hoped that a thoroughness and completeness of treatment, otherwise unattainable, might be secured. It was believed also that from writers mainly British and American fuller consideration of English Philosophy than it had hitherto received might be looked for. In the earlier series of books containing, among others, Bosan-quets History of JEsthetic, Pfleiderers Rational Theology since Kant, Albees History of English Utilitarianism, Bonars Philosophy and Political Economy, Bretts History of Psychology, Ritchies Natural Rights, these objects were to a large extent effected.

In the meantime original work of a high order was being produced both in England and America by such writers as Bradley, Stout, Bertrand Russell, Baldwin, Urban, Montague and others, and a new interest in foreign works, German, French, and Italian, which had either become classical or were attracting public attention, had developed. The scope of the Library thus became extended into something more international, and it is entering on the fifth decade of its existence in the hope that it may contribute to that mutual understanding between countries which is so pressing a need of the present time.

The need which Professor Muirhead stressed is no less pressing to-day, and few will deny that philosophy has much to do with enabling us to meet it, although no one, least of all Muirhead himself, would regard that as the sole, or even the main, object of philosophy. In view of Professor Muirheads long and fruitful association with the Library of Philosophy to which he now also lends the distinction of his name, it seemed not inappropriate to allow him to recall us to these aims in his own words. The emphasis on the history of thought also seemed to me very timely; and the number of important works promised for the Library in the near future augur well for the continued fulfilment, in this and in other ways, of the expectations of the original editor.

H. D. LEWIS

FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1953

SECOND IMPRESSION 1958

This book is copyright under the Berne Convention. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no portion may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Inquiry should be made to the publishers

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY

BUTLER AND TANNER LTD., FROME AND LONDON

When I urged Professor Moore to publish these lectures which he gave some forty years ago he said to me But surely they are out of date. Certainly they are out of date. Moores own work in philosophy over these forty years is by itself enough to render them out of date. Anyone hearing these lectures at the time they were given might have guessed that they would soon be out of date. For in these lectures philosophy is done with a directness and honesty and inci-civeness which at once gives hope that we may, working with Moore, soon cut a way out of the jungle into the light. It is the same hope we felt when we read what we still readMoores