Speculation - Shiben

In modern Indo-European languages, the original word that corresponds to speculation, for example the English word speculation, has the nuance of being confused or wondering about something, as implied by the fact that it also has the meaning of "speculation" in stocks. Philosophically, it has a common meaning with "thinking" and "contemplation," but the following differences are noted.

(1) Following the tradition of distinction that has existed since ancient Greek philosophy, there is a strong implication of theōriā (theoriā) as purely intellectual knowledge separate from practice and practical application, in contrast to technē (technē) and prāxis (prāxis).

(2) It means rational, imaginative, and metaphysical thinking as opposed to empirical, empirical, and scientific thinking.

Therefore, from the perspective of Plato, the lineage of modern rationalism, and idealism, it is valued as the essence of philosophical activity, but from the perspective of empiricism, materialism, and philosophical positions that emphasize practice, it is viewed negatively. Especially in modern times, except for cases where it is recognized to have the same significance as "thought experiments" in theoretical physics, it generally has a negative meaning as empty and non-actional contemplation.

[Takahide Toshita]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

近代インド・ヨーロッパ語で、思弁に対応する原語、たとえば英語のspeculationが株の「投機」の意味をももつことに暗示されているように、あれこれと思い迷うこと、「思惑」というニュアンスをもつ。そこで哲学的には「思考」「思索」と一面では共通の意味があるが、次のような違いを示す。

(1)古代ギリシア哲学以来の区別の伝統を受け、技術（テクネー）technē、実践（プラクシス）prāxisに対して、実践、実用を離れた純粋に知的認識としての観相（テオリア）theōriāの含みが強い。

(2)経験的、実証的、科学的な思考に対し、理性的、空想的、形而上(けいじじょう)学的思索の意味をもつ。

　そこで、プラトンや近代理性論の系譜、観念論的立場からは、哲学的活動の本質として重視されるが、経験論、唯物論、実践重視の哲学的立場からは消極視される。とくに現代では、理論物理学の「思考実験」と同様の意義が認められる場合を除けば、概して空疎で非行動的な思索という悪い意味をもつ。

［杖下隆英］

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