The Philosophy of Curiosity [Hardcover]

Introduction  1. Menos Paradox and Inostensible Conceptualization  2. Asking and Answering  3. Knowledge by Acquaintance and Knowledge by Description  4. Referential and Attributive Uses of Definite Descriptions  5. De Re / De Dicto  6. Rigidity and Direct Reference  7. Reference to the Object of Curiosity  8. Conditions for Curiosity  9. Conditions for the Satisfaction of Curiosity  10. Relativity of Curiosity and its Satisfaction  11. Presuppositions of Curiosity  12. Limits of Curiosity and its Satisfaction

In this book, Ilhan Inan questions the classical definition of curiosity as a desire to know. Working in an area where epistemology and philosophy of language overlap, Inan forges a link between our ability to become aware of our ignorance and our linguistic aptitude to construct terms referring to things unknown.

The book introduces the notion of inostensible reference (or reference to the unknown). Ilhan connects this notion to related concepts in philosophy of language: knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description; the referential and the attributive uses of definite descriptions; the de re/de dicto distinction; and Kripkes distinction between rigid and accidental designators.

Continuing with a discussion of the conditions for curiosity and its satisfaction, Inan argues that the learning processstarting in curiosity and ending in knowledgeis always an effort to transform our inostensible terms into ostensible ones. A contextual account is adopted for the satisfaction of curiosity. It then discusses the conditions of successful reference to the object of curiosity and its presuppositions. The book concludls%