Metaphilosophy

Lore & Background

Metaphilosophy examines the aims, boundaries, and methods of philosophy itself. Some philosophers consider it a subject prior and preparatory to philosophy, while others see it as inherently part of philosophy, or automatically part of it. Timothy Williamson argues that the philosophy of philosophy is automatically part of philosophy, while Ludwig Wittgenstein argued there is no second-order philosophy, comparing it to the spelling of 'spelling'. Debate persists as to whether evaluating the nature of philosophy is second-order philosophy or plain philosophy. Many philosophers, including Gilbert Ryle, have expressed doubts about its value, suggesting that preoccupation with methods distracts from prosecuting them.

Reader's Guide

Metaphilosophy's significance lies in its role as a self-reflective discipline that questions the very foundations of philosophical inquiry. It forces philosophers to consider what philosophy is, what it can achieve, and how it should proceed. The prefix 'meta' is sometimes taken to mean 'after' or 'beyond', leading some to see metaphilosophy as a second-order discipline above philosophy, while others treat it simply as 'about' philosophy. In the analytic tradition, the term is mostly used to tag commentary on previous works rather than original contributions. Sub-disciplines such as meta-ethics and meta-epistemology are considered forms of metaphilosophy. The boundaries of philosophy itself are notoriously difficult to define, and metaphilosophy addresses these demarcation issues, including the distinction between first-order and second-order investigations and between philosophy and empirical science.

Did You Know?

• Metaphilosophy can be traced back at least as far as the works of Ancient Greeks and Ancient Indian Nyaya.
• Some philosophers, like Gilbert Ryle, have doubted the value of metaphilosophy, comparing it to thinking too much about one's feet while running.