Month: August 2012
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Inquiry is not theory…
Excerpt from The Art of Inquiry, Chapter 1. * 1.2. Inquiry is not Theory A theory can either provide a general explanation for particular phenomena or offer principles for action. In physics, the search for the Theory of Everything implies that the scientist wishes to arrive at a total explanation of all physical phenomena. His desire…
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Inquiry illuminated
Excerpt from The Art of Inquiry, Chapter 1. * 1. Inquiry Illuminated What is it — Distinguishing Inquiry from Other ‘Genres’ (Methods, Theories) — Why it matters 1.1. Preliminary Definition An inquiry is an unrehearsed genre whose principal aims are, first, to reveal to us what we don’t know but thought we did and, second,…
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The reductio adsurdum of being successful
The reductio ad absurdum (the reduction to absurdity) of the desire for philosophical inquiry is that an individual or organization happens to be financially secure; has achieved success according to general consensus; has kept decent relations with others; has been socially responsible; but yet is still unsatisfied. The reductio is that this conception of a good life has…
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Review of Benedict’s Dharma: Buddhists Reflect on the Rule of St. Benedict
The following is a book review written for Philosophical Practice 7.2 (2012). Enjoy. Book Review Benedict’s Dharma: Buddhists Reflect on the Rule of Saint Benedict, edited by Patrick Henry, new translation of the Rule by Patrick Berry. New York: Riverhead Books (2001). ISBN 1573221902, 223 pages. REVIEWED BY ANDREW TAGGART PHILOSOPHICAL PRACTITIONER, NEW YORK, NY Not much…
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Confusion and Clarity: The Art of Inquiry in the Context of Social Enterprise
Course Description “Confusion and Clarity: The Art of Inquiry in the Context of Social Enterprise” This two-day workshop, to be held at Kaos Pilots on August 28 and 29, aims to teach the third-year student how to inquire into the things that matter most. By this point in her educational experience, the student should be…
Andrew Taggart, Ph.D. 