Speaking about silence (sort of)

when does a philosophy of the unsayable just stop being philosophy?

Simmons

pp. 23-38

in: Nahum BROWN, Simmons (eds), Contemporary debates in negative theology and philosophy, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2017

Abstract

In this chapter, Simmons offers a critical engagement with William Franke's A Philosophy of the Unsayable. Specifically focusing on Franke's account of the current state of philosophy of religion, Simmons takes issue with the way in which Franke seems to ignore mainstream analytic approaches in his assessment. Moreover, Simmons highlights potential obstacles that a philosophy of the unsayable might face as concerns the status of such a discourse when considered as "philosophy." Namely, it seems that being able to state clear theses and then offer argumentative evidence for them is crucial for philosophy. Yet such argumentative clarity seems to be what Franke's proposal eschews. Simmons concludes by offering constructive suggestions for how Franke might overcome such problems by drawing on a broader set of philosophical resources.

Cited authors

Franke William