21394
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Philosophy is knowing each logos, how they fit together, and what follows from them [Epictetus]
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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.
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From:
Epictetus (The Discourses [c.56], 4.08.14), quoted by A.A. Long - Hellenistic Philosophy 4.1
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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.
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20876
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Philosophy investigates the causes of disagreements, and seeks a standard for settling them [Epictetus]
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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.
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From:
Epictetus (The Discourses [c.56], 2.11.13)
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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.
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15970
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People generalise because it is easier to understand, and that is mistaken for deep philosophy [Feynman]
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Full Idea:
The topic of the laws of nature has a tendency to become too philosophical because it becomes too general, and a person talks in such generalities, that everybody can understand him. It is then considered to be some deep philosophy.
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From:
Richard P. Feynman (The Character of Physical Law [1965], 1)
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A reaction:
Feynman was famously anti-philosophical, but this is a good challenge. I like philosophy because I want to know broad general truths about my world, but I may just be gravitating towards what is easier. The challenge is to get true generalities.
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