Wilfrid Sellars's Metaphilosophy : Two Images and the Philosophy in Between

Bringing together essays on Wilfrid Sellars’ distinction between the manifest and scientific image and his vision of philosophy’s role in overcoming their clash, this volume elucidates some of the most perplexing and important aspects of his philosophy. An international team of leading and rising scholars provide a systematic treatment of Sellars’ metaphilosophy and its implications, drawing on the concepts presented in his seminal work Philosophy and the Scientific Image of Man. Essays consider his view that the purpose of the distinction is to transform, rather than constrain, the practice of philosophy. Part I examines the relationship between the two images, their differences, and the (im)possibility of reconciling them; Part II explores Sellars’ distinction between the two images from a broader philosophical perspective and considers other aspects of his philosophy, including his often ambivalent relationship with other traditions such as logical atomism, logical empiricism and American pragmatism. Attesting to his extensive legacy as a key figure in 20th-century analytic philosophy, this collection illuminates Sellars’ complex and intricate philosophy in new and engaging ways.