All Talked Out Naturalism and the Future of Philosophy

In All Talked Out J.D. Trout exemplifies the power of science in a philosopher's hands, and takes a welcome look at the resulting fate of philosophy. Based on his 2013 Phi Beta Kappa Romanell Lectures, each chapter presents a novel and positive view of intellectual advancements with respect to traditional topics in philosophy, and explains why these achievements occurred despite the archaic and often retrograde influence of philosophical doctrine and method.

Together, these two lines of inquiry lead the reader to understand that while foundational reflection remains as necessary as ever, philosophy, as it is conceived of in the halls of academia, no longer adds anything distinctively useful. At its best, philosophy is a place to grow new ideas. But many other disciplines can provide such incubation. At the same time, however, we don't have to kill philosophy; but we do have to figure out what is worth preserving.

Following a spirited introduction, the first lecture takes stock of the growing field of evidence-based approaches to reasoning, and in light of these scientific developments, criticizes important failures in epistemology as it is currently practiced in the English speaking world. The second lecture examines the psychological impulse to explain, the resulting sense of understanding, and the natural limits of cognitively appreciating the subject we have explained. The final lecture presents the proper reaction to the idea that scientific evidence matters to responsible governance.

J.D. Trout is Professor and John and Mae Calamos Endowed Chair of Philosophy at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. He is the author of Wondrous Truths: The Improbable Rise of Modern Science (Oxford 2016), Measuring the Intentional World (Oxford 2003), and The Empathy Gap: Building Bridges to the Good Life and the Good Society (Penguin 2010).

Chapter 1: Introduction: The Shape of Evidence-Based Epistemology
Where We Are: An Overview
Naturalism as a Hypothesis
How Did We Get Here?
A Better Alternative: Strategic Reliabilism?
Ameliorative Psychology and Better Reasoning
Conclusion

Chapter 2: Good Reasoning and Evidence-Based Epistemology
The Limits of Reasoning
Standard Analytic Epistemology and Professional Philosophy
The Failure of Constructive Philosophy
The Department of Things I Find Really Cool to Think About
Strategic Reliabilism: Philosophy as Coach
Conclusion
Chapter 3: The Natural Limits of Explanation
Owning up to Human Limitations
The Delicate Feeling of Explaining
Understanding and the "Aha!" Moment
The Romanticized View of Insight
Creepy Truths and Estrangement: Fluency, Narrative Coherence and Explanation
Conclusion

Chapter 4: Taking People as We Find Them: Philosophy and Evidence--Based Policy
Introduction
Do Inheritors Deserve their Bequests? Inheritance and the Luck Subsidy
The Science of Happiness and a Utilitarian Argument for Redistribution
A Modest Proposal: Getting Rid of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
Outside Strategies and the Dangers of Complicated Rules: The Index of Honesty
Conclusion