Problem Solving in Philosophy - by Louis Vervoort (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This open access book provides a method for philosophical problem solving, offering philosophers the tools to stay ahead of machine intelligence. Louis Vervoort argues that, with ultra-intelligent AI knocking at the door, philosophy can no longer rely solely on its ancient methodological toolkit. The proposed method is essentially the same as used in natural science, theoretical physics in particular, and aims at solving problems through theory-synthesis. The author shows by first case studies that current AI can already assist us in this task - a trend that will surely strengthen in the near future. After explaining the method in detail, the book proceeds by proposing unified solutions to classic problems of (analytic) philosophy, such as Gettier's problem, the problem of induction, of causation, of the interpretation of probability, of free will. The author argues that these solutions maximise a quantitative measure of solidity, and that philosophy can now reach standards of certainty that are comparable to those of natural science. The book is written for professional philosophers, but avoids jargon, so it should also be accessible to laypeople and scientists.

From the Back Cover

This open access book provides a method for philosophical problem solving, offering philosophers the tools to stay ahead of machine intelligence. Louis Vervoort argues that, with ultra-intelligent AI knocking at the door, philosophy can no longer rely solely on its ancient methodological toolkit. The proposed method is essentially the same as used in natural science, theoretical physics in particular, and aims at solving problems through theory-synthesis. The author shows by first case studies that current AI can already assist us in this task - a trend that will surely strengthen in the near future. After explaining the method in detail, the book proceeds by proposing unified solutions to classic problems of (analytic) philosophy, such as Gettier's problem, the problem of induction, of causation, of the interpretation of probability, of free will. The author argues that these solutions maximise a quantitative measure of solidity, and that philosophy can now reach standards of certainty that are comparable to those of natural science. The book is written for professional philosophers, but avoids jargon, so it should also be accessible to laypeople and scientists.

About the Author

Louis Vervoort received a PhD in philosophy of science at the Université de Montréal in 2013 and worked as a post-doc at the Université du Québec à Montréal, and since then as a professor in Russia, now at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. Before switching to philosophy, he obtained a PhD in physics at the Université d'Aix-Marseille and did a post-doc at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. This bi-disciplinary experience often incites him to study philosophical problems from a crossed philosophical-scientific perspective; he has the firm belief that there is a great potential of cross-fertilisation between these fields. Louis Vervoort has worked on classic problems of analytic philosophy, such as Gettier's problem, causation, the interpretation of probability, the problem of induction, free will and consciousness, and the interpretation of quantum physics - quantum nonlocality and Bell's theorem, notably. One of the key insights he would like to convey in this book is that these problems are related, and that a synthetic approach is needed to address them.