This introductory chapter begins with a brief discussion of the purpose of the book, which is to delineate and to practice a particularly austere form of naturalism. It coins a new term, ‘Second Philosophy’, to distinguish this form of naturalism from other ‘naturalism’, and introduces an idealized inquirer called the Second Philosopher. The Second Philosopher's approach is what is typically termed ‘scientific’, and she is fully capable of appreciating and addressing a wide range of questions we would just as typically regard as ‘philosophical’. An overview of the subsequent chapters is presented.
Keywords: naturalism, Second Philosophy, Second Philosopher, inquirer