Combining Philosophers

Ideas for H.Putnam/P.Oppenheim, New Scientist writers and Lars Svendsen

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4 ideas

18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 3. Emotions / b. Types of emotion
Emotions have intentional objects, while a mood is objectless [Svendsen]
     Full Idea: An emotion normally has an intentional object, while a mood is objectless.
     From: Lars Svendsen (A Philosophy of Boredom [2005], Ch.3)
     A reaction: It doesn't follow that the object of the emotion is clearly understood, or even that it is conscious. One may experience rising anger while struggling to see what its object is. Artistic symbolism seems to involve objects that create moods.
18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 5. Rationality / a. Rationality
No one has yet devised a rationality test [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: The financial sector has been clamouring for a rationality test for years.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.10.29)
     A reaction: Many aspects of intelligence tests do actually pick out what I would call rationality (which includes 'rational intuition', a new favourite of mine). But they are mixed in with rather mechanical geeky sort of tests.
18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 7. Intelligence
About a third of variation in human intelligence is environmental [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Possibly a third of the variation in our intelligence is down to the environment in which we grew up - nutrition and education, for example.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.10.29)
     A reaction: This presumably leaves the other two-thirds to derive from genetics. I am a big believer in environment. Swapping babies between extremes of cultural environment would hugely affect intelligence, say I.
People can be highly intelligent, yet very stupid [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: You really can be highly intelligent, and at the same time very stupid.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.10.29)
     A reaction: This is closely related to my observation (from a lifetime of study) that a talent for philosophy has a very limited correlation with standard notions of high intelligence. What matters is how conscious reasoning and intuition relate. Greek 'phronesis'.