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Ernest Gellner’s Use of the Social Sciences in Philosophy

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Author

  • Stefan Schubert

Summary, in English

It is well known that Ernest Gellner made substantial use of his knowledge of the social sciences in philosophy. Here I discuss how he used it on the basis of a few examples taken from Gellner’s philosophical output. It is argued that he made a number of highly original “translations”, or re-interpretations, of philosophical theories and problems using his knowledge of the social sciences. While this method is endorsed, it is also argued that some of Gellner’s translations crossed the line between the original and the idiosyncratic.

Publishing year

2012

Language

English

Pages

3-22

Publication/Series

Philosophy of the Social Sciences

Volume

44

Issue

1

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Topic

  • Philosophy

Keywords

  • Philosophy of Social Sciences
  • Ernest Gellner
  • Karl Popper
  • Ludwig Wittgenstein
  • Logical Positivism
  • Linguistic Philosophy

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0048-3931