Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Herodotus, Aristotle and Paul O'Grady

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14 ideas

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 1. Philosophy
All philosophy begins from wonder, either at the physical world, or at ideas [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: All men begin to philosophise from wonder, for example at the changes of the sun, or the incommensurability of the diameter (pi)
     From: Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 0983a14)
     A reaction: If it doesn't begin with wonder, what does it begin with?
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 2. Invocation to Philosophy
Without extensive examination firm statements are hard, but studying the difficulties is profitable [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: It is hard to make firm statements on these questions without having examined them many times, but to have gone through the various difficulties is not unprofitable.
     From: Aristotle (Categories [c.331 BCE], 08b23)
     A reaction: Suggesting that philosophy is more like drawing the map than completing the journey.
If each of us can give some logos about parts of nature, our combined efforts can be impressive [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: Each of us is able to give a logos about some part of nature and even though as individuals little or nothing is added to the truth, from all of us contributing together something grand comes about.
     From: Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 0993b04)
     A reaction: Aristotle sees philosophy and science as group activities.
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 3. Philosophy Defined
Philosophy is a kind of science that deals with principles [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: Philosophy is a kind of science that deals with principles.
     From: Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 1059a13)
     A reaction: So is philosophy just part of science - the bit that tries to explain the abstract instead of the physical?
Absolute thinking is the thinking of thinking [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: Absolute thinking is the thinking of thinking.
     From: Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 1074b28)
     A reaction: Connects to the apparently unique human ability to reflect about our own thoughts.
Philosophy has different powers from dialectic, and a different life from sophistry [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: Philosophy differs from dialectic in the manner of its powers, and from sophistry in the choice of life that it involves.
     From: Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 1004b17)
     A reaction: Note the separation of dialectic from the heart of philosophy, and the claim that philosophy is a way of life.
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 4. Divisions of Philosophy
If only natural substances exist, science is first philosophy - but not if there is an immovable substance [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: If there is no substance other than those which are formed by nature, natural science will be the first science; but if there is an immovable substance, the science of this must be prior and must be first philosophy.
     From: Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 1026a28)
     A reaction: For Aristotle science is mainly finding the causes of everything. Does he think physical science is the way to study ethics and politics. Maybe, via essential natures and natural functions.
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / a. Philosophy as worldly
Free and great-souled men do not keep asking "what is the use of it?" [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: To be constantly asking 'what is the use of it?' is unbecoming to those of great soul, and unworthy of free men.
     From: Aristotle (Politics [c.332 BCE], 1338b01)
     A reaction: Love this one! It is not just philosophers who keep hearing this question. Pure mathematics, history, literature, even carpentry if you are not going to be a carpenter.
Unobservant thinkers tend to dogmatise using insufficient facts [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: Those whom devotion to abstract discussions has rendered unobservant of the facts are too ready to dogmatise on the basis of a few observations.
     From: Aristotle (Coming-to-be and Passing-away (Gen/Corr) [c.335 BCE], 316a09)
     A reaction: I totally approve of the idea that a good philosopher should be 'observant'. Prestige in modern analytic philosophy comes from logical ability. There should be some rival criterion for attentiveness to facts, with equal prestige.
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / c. Philosophy as generalisation
Wisdom is knowledge of principles and causes [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: Wisdom is knowledge having to do with certain principles [archas] and causes [aitias].
     From: Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 0982a02)
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / d. Philosophy as puzzles
Inquiry is the cause of philosophy [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: Inquiry is the cause of philosophy.
     From: Aristotle (Protrepticus (frags) [c.334 BCE]), quoted by Alexander Nehamas - Eristic,Antilogic,Sophistic,Dialectic p.120
     A reaction: The earlier part of the quote says philosophical thinking is inescapable (even if philosophy is impossible). I suppose we would call it 'curiosity'.
Translate as 'humans all desire by nature to understand' (not as 'to know') [Aristotle, by Annas]
     Full Idea: Aristotle says that 'humans all desire by nature to understand'. The Greek word here is often translated as 'to know', but this can be misleading. It is not a piling up of known facts, ..but mastery of a field of knowledge, and explaining why.
     From: report of Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 0980a22) by Julia Annas - Ancient Philosophy: very short introduction Ch.1
     A reaction: I take this gloss of Annas's to be highly significant if we are trying to understand Aristotle, since it appears to be the single most significant remark from him of what his life's work was about.
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 6. Hopes for Philosophy
Even people who go astray in their opinions have contributed something useful [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: We should not only be grateful to those in whose opinions we at all share but also to those who have gone astray, for even the latter have contributed something.
     From: Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 0993b12)
     A reaction: Yes, but what have they contributed? Have they revealed lines of reasoning, or are they just a terrible warning?
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 7. Despair over Philosophy
Most people are readier to submit to compulsion than to argument [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: Most people are readier to submit to compulsion and punishment than to argument and fine ideals.
     From: Aristotle (Nicomachean Ethics [c.334 BCE], 1180a05)
     A reaction: How perceptively pessimistic. We must hope that the picture has changed now that we have fairly universal education. Some people may submit to argument, but NOT to fine ideals.