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Quote by Rebecca Goldstein

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Rebecca Goldstein
Rebecca Goldstein

Rebecca Goldstein, born on February 23, 1950, is an American novelist known for her profound psychological insights and philosophical explorations. Her works, such as 'The Mind-Body Problem' and 'Natural History', are celebrated for their blend of literature and philosophy. more

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“Children, who have so much to learn in so short a time, had involved the tendency to trust adults to instruct them in the collective knowledge of our species, and this trust confers survival value. But it also makes children vulnerable to being tricked and adults who exploit this vulnerability should be deeply ashamed.”

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Book:Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away
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“If there is such a thing as philosophical progress, then why - unlike scientific progress - is it so invisible? Philosophical progress is invisible because it is incorporated into our points of view. What was torturously secured by complex argument comes widely shared intuition, so obvious that we forget its provenance.”

IfsForgetViewsProgressArgumentPhilosophicalComplexesObviousIntuitionPoint Of ViewInvisibleForget ItSecuredScientific Progress
Author:Rebecca Goldstein
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“I was trained as a philosopher never to put philosophers and their ideas into historical contexts, since historical context has nothing to do with the validity of the philosopher's positions. I agree that assessing validity and contextualizing historically are two entirely distinct matters and not to be confused with one another. And yet that firm distinction doesn't lead me to endorse the usual way in which history of philosophy is presented.”

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Book:Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away
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“When you ask why did some particular question occur to a scientist or philosopher for the first time, or why did this particular approach seem natural, then your questions concern the context of discovery. When you ask whether the argument the philosopher puts forth to answer that question is sound, or whether the evidence justifies the scientific theory proposed, then you've entered the context of justification. Considerations of history, sociology, anthropology, and psychology are relevant to the context of discovery, but not to justification.”

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Book:Plato at the Googleplex: Why Philosophy Won't Go Away
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