Inauguration & Welcome

Welcome to The Synopsis Project, the brainchild of a few philosophy students who want to learn from the great minds as well as from one another. As the sidebar notes, the goal of this blog is to establish a meaningful dialogue among contributors and readers, ultimately resulting in a wealth of research and input usable in various other manners of publication. By utilizing one another's constructive feedback and original contributions, we hope to diversify the content of our discussions and truly articulate a "synoptic" approach to philosophical inquiry.

Nicholas Rescher, a prolific author and philosopher currently teaching at the University of Pittsburgh, writes:

[T]he present situation of philosophy is such that satisfying systems can no longer emerge from single minds like Athene from the head of Zeus. Philosophy has had to come to terms with the fact that the problem situation with which it must nowadays grapple has grown in extent and complexity to the point where adequate systematization lies beyond the power of any individual intellect. And so the order of the day is disaggregated collaboration through the development of schools and circles. (Philosophical Reasoning, p. 268)

I think Rescher is certainly onto something. But he is also correct in acknowledging that "the dream of systemic understanding and holistic cognition is something that philosophers are unlikely ever to abandon altogether." ( p. 273) Accordingly, we hope that this site will provide—in some small way—elements of consideration for other students of philosophy throughout the world.