Aristotle’s Hand

The first chapter presents the dream argument and explains why the conception of knowledge that the argument presupposes, originating with Plato and derived from mathematics, is unjustified. The second chapter discusses the nature of free will and its relation to our accountability for our actions, and shows how it is compatible with determinism in nature. The third chapter investigates various aspects of measurement generally and of that of distance particularly, and explores their interrelations and limitations. The fourth chapter confronts the argument from design with evolutionary theory as purported explanations of apparent design in nature, and explains the limitations of the former, its fundamental weakness, and the advantages of the latter. The last chapter discusses the nature of philosophy, its failure to supply knowledge about the world, the insights it can offer, and its possible contribution to other disciplines.