Abstract

The author uses four images, taken from the repertoire of our philosophical tradition, to account for some relevant features of philosophy as a vocation. The images are those of Leibniz's dream, of Popper's dream, of philosophical imagination, and of Neurath's boat. Each image singles out a particular trait of philosophical inquiry as the author understands it. The relative importance of the images can vary, but what matters, in giving an overall picture of philosophy as a vocation, is their variable combination taken as a whole.