In the abstract, this thesis focuses on the subject of philosophical doubt. Both Kierkegaard and Wittgenstein criticize philosophical doubt, and their methods of criticism are both similar and complimentary. In the first two parts of the thesis, I explain some of their criticisms of philosophical doubt. Kierkegaard and Wittgenstein determine that philosophical doubt is an activity that relies on assumptions as it contravenes them. In his treatment of the subject, Wittgenstein approximates some of the impediments to the communication of the errors of philosophical doubt. In an effort to isolate the problem of communicating the errors of philosophical doubt, I explain and develop Kierkegaards analysis of the consciousness for which doubt is a possibility. I then draw upon Kierkegaards analysis of the consciousness for which doubt is a possibility to explain the following: how the activity of philosophical doubt produces error, and how the production of error helps the activity of philosophical doubt to sustain itself; the difficulty of communicating the error of philosophical doubt to the individual, and the resistence of the philosophical doubter to the disclosure of the nature of philosophical doubt. This analysis helps to frame the question of whether philosophical doubt is an essential part of philosophy. Finally, I return to Kierkegaards character Johannes Climacus, who both disproved philosophical doubt in the abstract and suffered it subjectively.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VANDERBILT/oai:VANDERBILTETD:etd-07212009-155524 |
| Date | 25 July 2009 |
| Creators | Froom, Eric |
| Contributors | Prof. William Franke, Prof. Michael Hodges |
| Publisher | VANDERBILT |
| Source Sets | Vanderbilt University Theses |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.vanderbilt.edu//available/etd-07212009-155524/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to Vanderbilt University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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