Bloße Streite um Worte

Overview & Synopsis

Philosophical discourses can fail in different ways and for different reasons. If disputants are involved in a mere dispute over words, their dispute is not based on disagreement. Due to a linguistic misunderstanding, they just talk past each other. In its first part, this book outlines for the first time a detailed theory of mere disputes over words. What characterizes such unsuccessful disputes? And what evidence can support the suspicion of a mere dispute over words in philosophy? In the second part of the book, the author then applies the results obtained in a case study to the debate about personal identity.