Combining Philosophers

Ideas for William James, Anselm and William Shakespeare

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2 ideas

2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 1. On Reason
Good reasons must give way to better [Shakespeare]
     Full Idea: Good reasons must of force give way to better.
     From: William Shakespeare (Julius Caesar [1599], 4.3.205)
     A reaction: [Brutus to Cassius] This remark is an axiom of rationality. But, of course, reasons can come in groups, and three modest reasons may compete with one very good reason.
2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 5. Objectivity
A single explanation must have a single point of view [James]
     Full Idea: A single explanation of a fact only explains it from a single point of view.
     From: William James (The Sentiment of Rationality [1882], p.23)
     A reaction: I take this to imply that multiple viewpoints lead us towards objectivity. The single viewpoint of an expert is of much greater value than that of a novice, on the whole.