Description in Philosophy English 1994

The book attempts to analyze the concept of descriptive philosophy as envisaged by Wittgenstein and Husserl in their philosophical set up. Unlike Descartes, Locke and Kant, their aim was not to ground 'this' or 'criticize' that but to describe what 'lies before us'. They believed that philosophy was overloaded with jargons and theories and felt the need to simplify it. They considered it a ritual to be performed by the philosophers and took upon themselves the task of description in philosophy. The concept of philosophical description, however, requires a certain framework, a certain 'matrix' which makes description possible. Without some anchorage like "forms of life" or "life world" philosophical description would be utterly devoid of philosophical import. In fact, Wittgenstein and Husserl although depart from the classical world views in their descriptive programme, yet they both, in the last analysis, tend to abandon description. The piecemeal stratagies with which they started are eventually swallowed up not in speculation but in the matrix which gave them birth. In a sense, this matrix in spite of being indispensible sets the limit for description. Dr. Krishna Jain has in the book has highlighted the hazards which inevitably arise in the way of faithful description and with the idea of faithful description itself. AUTHOR DETAILS: Dr. (Mrs.) Krishna Jain did her post graduation in Philosophy from Miranda House, Delhi and is presently teaching in Janki Devi College, Delhi University.