History of Philosophy

Schools of Contemporary Philosophy

General Overview

Contemporary philosophy refers to the philosophical schools and movements that have developed and continue to evolve in the 20th and 21st centuries. This period in the history of philosophy is characterized by distinctive features that set it apart from previous eras:

• Intensity of Philosophical Discourse: The 20th and 21st centuries have witnessed an unprecedented surge in philosophical discourse. No other period in history has produced such a volume of tomes, published so many articles, or held so many conferences on philosophical topics as these centuries. This heightened intensity of philosophical discussion is not unique to philosophy alone; it is also evident in other fields of knowledge, but it remains a significant characteristic of contemporary philosophy.
• Specialization of Philosophical Discourse: Philosophy in the 20th and 21st centuries is marked by its narrow specialization. Whereas philosophers of earlier eras, such as Plato, Aristotle, and Thomas Aquinas, aimed to address the entirety of philosophical inquiry, contemporary philosophers often focus on specific issues. For instance, Ludwig Wittgenstein concentrated on the philosophy of language, Karl Popper on the philosophy of science and social philosophy, and Jean-François Lyotard on cultural philosophy. Thus, in the 20th and 21st centuries, it is more pertinent to discuss specific areas of philosophy, such as the philosophy of science, the philosophy of language, or the philosophy of humanity, rather than philosophy in general.
• Geography of Philosophy: The geography of philosophical discourse has shifted in the 20th and 21st centuries. For many centuries, European philosophy was predominantly centered in Europe. Up until the 19th century, the scholarly literature scarcely mentioned philosophers from the European tradition who lived outside Europe. However, the 20th century saw an increasing number of philosophers from other continents participating in philosophical discussions. The United States, in particular, has become a significant center for philosophy, as it has for other fields of knowledge. Two World Wars were instrumental in this shift, as they prompted many European intellectuals to migrate to new lands.
• Language of Philosophy: The rise of philosophical discourse in the United States and other non-European countries has also led to a shift in the primary working language of philosophical discussions. At the dawn of European philosophy, Greek was the language of choice. During the Middle Ages and early modern period, philosophers predominantly wrote in Latin. In modern times, philosophers began using national languages, with most philosophical texts of this era written in German, French, English, and Italian. In the 21st century, even in continental Europe, the majority of publications are in English.