SOURCE: "Moore and Shusterman on Organic Wholes," in The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Vol. 49, No. 1, Winter, 1991, pp. 63-73.

In the following essay, Leddy examines Moore's refutation of idealism in light of the contemporary debate between analytic philosophy and deconstruction.

It is natural in periods of crisis in a paradigm to turn back to the founders in an effort to think carefully through the reasons for the founding of the movement. The origins of analytic philosophy can be found partly in G. E. Moore's objections to the idealism of the British Hegelians, e.g., Bradley and McTaggart. The debate between Moore and these idealists is particularly interesting when we consider recent comparisons that have been drawn by Rorty and others between 19th century idealism and 20th century textualism.¹ Richard Shusterman has recently reopened the debate by considering the opposing views of such continental philosophers as Derrida and...