Introduction: Quine and His Place in History

Abstract

A central aim of the historical study of philosophy is to gain a certain type of intellectual self-consciousness. Retracing the paths of our forbears, we see decisions being made, sometimes tacitly or implicitly; we see the routes not taken and often the reasons why; confusions avoided or fallen into and insights won or lost; we gain a sense of things we now take for granted as optional. We learn more about who we are.