by Philip Rose
Metaphilosophy, 38(5), 632-653, 2007
Abstract: A close examination of the relation between philosophy and myth reveals important functional parallels in... more
Abstract: A close examination of the relation between philosophy and myth reveals important functional parallels in some of their basic means of operation that helps shed some light on philosophy’s overall task. A crucial aspect of the structural similarity between philosophy and myth is the generation of what Hans Blumenberg calls ‘significance.’ I will argue that the preservation and enhancement of significance (through a strong affinity to myth) is an essential and overlooked aspect of philosophy’s task, one that is best accomplished through the world-orienting work of speculative philosophy. By uniting and weaving the fragmented insights, criticisms, lessons, methods, etc. of the more ‘specialized’ analytic, pragmatic, critical, postmodern, deconstructivist and other schools or methods of thought together in a systematic way, speculative philosophy may be able to provide us with the kind of world-orientation needed for developing a healthier, richer, more profound understanding of ourselves and our proper place within the world.
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