The problem of difference

Beginning with Plato and Aristotle, philosophers throughout history have built their theories around the problem of reconciling a fundamental distinction, as for example, Plato's distinction between knowledge (reality) and opinion (appearance), Descartes's mind/body distinction, and Kant's a priori/a posterior distinction. This 'problem of difference' is a classic theme in philosophy, and one that has taken especially intriguing turns in recent decades. Jeffrey A. Bell here presents a survey of the contemporary Continental philosophers, focusing on how they have dealt with the problem of…