The uses of the past from Heidegger to Rorty doing philosophy historically

"In this book Robert Piercey asks how it is possible to do philosophy by studying the thinkers of the past. He develops his own theory through readings of historically minded philosophers. Piercey shows that what is distinctive about these figures is a concern with philosophical pictures - extremely general conceptions of what the world is like - rather than specific theories. He offers a comprehensive and illuminating exploration of the way in which these thinkers use narrative to evaluate and criticize these pictures. The result is an account of how philosophers use the past."--Jacket.