Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Chrysippus, Epictetus and Gottfried Leibniz

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7 ideas

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 2. Invocation to Philosophy

2118	All other human gifts can harm us, but not correct reasoning [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: Although people can be made worse off by all other gifts, correct reasoning alone can only be for the good.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Preface to Universal Characteristic [1679])
	A reaction: How about a kind heart? Not everyone would agree with the remark, but philosophers should.

19395	Philosophy is sanctified, because it flows from God [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: Philosophy is sanctified by having its streams flow from the fountain of God's attributes.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (A General Principle to Explain Laws of Nature [1687], p.69)

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 3. Philosophy Defined

23355	The task of philosophy is to establish standards, as occurs with weights and measures [Epictetus]
	Full Idea: Things are judged and weighed, when we have the standards ready. This is the task of philosophy: to examine and establish the standards.
	From: Epictetus (The Discourses [c.56], 2.11.24)
	A reaction: It is interesting that this gives philosophers a very specific social role, and also that it seems to identify epistemology as First Philosophy. Other disciplines, of course, establish their own standards without reference to philosophy.

23367	Even pointing a finger should only be done for a reason [Epictetus]
	Full Idea: Philosophy says it is not right even to stretch out a finger without some reason.
	From: Epictetus (fragments/reports [c.57], 15)
	A reaction: The key point here is that philosophy concerns action, an idea on which Epictetus is very keen. He rather despise theory. This idea perfectly sums up the concept of the wholly rational life (which no rational person would actually want to live!).

21394	Philosophy is knowing each logos, how they fit together, and what follows from them [Epictetus]
	Full Idea: [Philosophical speculation] consists in knowing the elements of 'logos', what each of them is like, how they fit together, and what follows from them.
	From: Epictetus (The Discourses [c.56], 4.08.14), quoted by A.A. Long - Hellenistic Philosophy 4.1
	A reaction: [Said to echo Zeno] If you substitute understanding for 'logos' (plausibly), I think this is exactly the view of philosophy I would subscribe to. We want to understand each aspect of life, and we want those understandings to cohere with one another.

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 4. Divisions of Philosophy

20772	Three branches of philosophy: first logic, second ethics, third physics (which ends with theology) [Chrysippus]
	Full Idea: There are three kinds of philosophical theorems, logical, ethical, and physical; of these the logic should be placed first, ethics second, and physics third (and theology is the final topic in physics).
	From: Chrysippus (fragments/reports [c.240 BCE]), quoted by Plutarch - 70: Stoic Self-contradictions 1035a
	A reaction: [in his lost 'On Lives' Bk 4] 'Theology is the final topic in physics'! That should create a stir in theology departments. Is this an order of study, or of importance? You come to theology right at the end of your studies.

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / a. Philosophy as worldly

20876	Philosophy investigates the causes of disagreements, and seeks a standard for settling them [Epictetus]
	Full Idea: The start of philosophy is perception of the mutual conflict among people, and a search for its cause, plus the rejection and distrust of mere opinion, an investigation to see if opinion is right, and the discovery of some canon, like scales for weighing.
	From: Epictetus (The Discourses [c.56], 2.11.13)
	A reaction: So the number one aim of philosophy is epistemological, to find the criterion for true opinion. But it starts in real life, and would cease to trade if people would just agree. I think we should set the bar higher than that.