Combining Philosophers
Ideas for Donald Davidson, Aristotle and Gabriel M.A. Segal
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76 ideas
2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 1. On Reason
23250
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Desired responsible actions result either from rational or from irrational desire [Aristotle]
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2676
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Didactic argument starts from the principles of the subject, not from the opinions of the learner [Aristotle]
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11283
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There is pure deductive reasoning, and explanatory demonstration reasoning [Aristotle, by Politis]
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2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 2. Logos
24047
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An account is either a definition or a demonstration [Aristotle]
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1570
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Human beings, alone of the animals, have logos [Aristotle]
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1575
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For Aristotle logos is essentially the ability to talk rationally about questions of value [Roochnik on Aristotle]
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2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 4. Aims of Reason
1574
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Reasoning distinguishes what is beneficial, and hence what is right [Aristotle]
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1589
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Aristotle is the supreme optimist about the ability of logos to explain nature [Roochnik on Aristotle]
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5082
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Reason grasps generalities, while the senses grasp particulars [Aristotle]
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2675
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Reasoning is a way of making statements which makes them lead on to other statements [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 5. Objectivity
8868
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Objective truth arises from interpersonal communication [Davidson]
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3969
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There are no ultimate standards of rationality, since we only assess others by our own standard [Davidson]
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3972
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Truth and objectivity depend on a community of speakers to interpret what they mean [Davidson]
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2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 6. Coherence
1672
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Maybe everything could be demonstrated, if demonstration can be reciprocal or circular [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 7. Status of Reason
623
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It is readily agreed that thinking is the most godlike of things in our experience [Aristotle]
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2801
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Intelligence which looks ahead is a natural master, while bodily strength is a natural slave [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 8. Naturalising Reason
3125
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Psychology studies the way rationality links desires and beliefs to causality [Segal]
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2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 9. Limits of Reason
19740
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A very hungry man cannot choose between equidistant piles of food [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 3. Non-Contradiction
23917
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Contrary statements can both be reasonable, if they are meant in two different ways [Aristotle]
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11281
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We cannot say that one thing both is and is not a man [Aristotle]
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1602
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For Aristotle predication is regulated by Non-Contradiction, because underlying stability is essential [Roochnik on Aristotle]
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11282
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Aristotle does not take the principle of non-contradiction for granted [Aristotle, by Politis]
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1601
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The most certain basic principle is that contradictories can't be true at the same time [Aristotle]
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6561
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A thing cannot be both in and not-in the same thing (at a given time) [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 4. Contraries
608
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There is no middle ground in contradiction, but there is in contrariety [Aristotle]
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1708
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In "Callias is just/not just/unjust", which of these are contraries? [Aristotle]
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24052
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From one thing alone we can infer its contrary [Aristotle]
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1697
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The contrary of good is bad, but the contrary of bad is either good or another evil [Aristotle]
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4333
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Contraries are by definition as far distant as possible from one another [Aristotle]
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1698
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Both sides of contraries need not exist (as health without sickness, white without black) [Aristotle]
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1684
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Two falsehoods can be contrary to one another [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 5. Opposites
628
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Not everything is composed of opposites; what, for example, is the opposite of matter? [Aristotle]
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627
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If everything is made of opposites, are the opposed things made of opposites? [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / C. Styles of Reason / 1. Dialectic
5847
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It is the role of dialectic to survey syllogisms [Aristotle]
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12260
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Dialectic starts from generally accepted opinions [Aristotle]
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2677
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Dialectic aims to start from generally accepted opinions, and lead to a contradiction [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / C. Styles of Reason / 3. Eristic
2674
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Competitive argument aims at refutation, fallacy, paradox, solecism or repetition [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / D. Definition / 1. Definitions
12291
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There can't be one definition of two things, or two definitions of the same thing [Aristotle]
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10953
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The parts of a definition are isomorphic to the parts of the entity [Aristotle]
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10960
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If we define 'man' as 'two-footed animal', why does that make man a unity? [Aristotle]
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12292
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Definitions are easily destroyed, since they can contain very many assertions [Aristotle]
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10957
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The material element may be essential to a definition [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / D. Definition / 3. Types of Definition
16094
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You can't define particulars, because accounts have to be generalised [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / D. Definition / 4. Real Definition
12075
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An Aristotelian definition is causal [Aristotle, by Witt]
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10944
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A definition must be of something primary [Aristotle]
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596
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Only substance [ousias] admits of definition [Aristotle]
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12360
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Definitions need the complex features of form, and don't need to mention the category [Aristotle, by Wedin]
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16107
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Sometimes parts must be mentioned in definitions of essence, and sometimes not [Aristotle]
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12384
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Definition by division needs predicates, which are well ordered and thorough [Aristotle]
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9066
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You can define objects by progressively identifying what is the same and what is different [Aristotle]
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8200
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Aristotelian definitions aim to give the essential properties of the thing defined [Aristotle, by Quine]
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12145
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Definitions are of what something is, and that is universal [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / D. Definition / 5. Genus and Differentia
12261
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Differentia are generic, and belong with genus [Aristotle]
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12263
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'Genus' is part of the essence shared among several things [Aristotle]
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12272
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We describe the essence of a particular thing by means of its differentiae [Aristotle]
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12279
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The differentia indicate the qualities, but not the essence [Aristotle]
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12283
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In definitions the first term to be assigned ought to be the genus [Aristotle]
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12289
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The genera and the differentiae are part of the essence [Aristotle]
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12352
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Whiteness can only belong to man because an individual like Callias happens to be white [Aristotle]
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11383
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A definition is of the universal and of the kind [Aristotle]
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4385
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Aristotelian definition involves first stating the genus, then the differentia of the thing [Aristotle, by Urmson]
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12355
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'Plane' is the genus of plane figures, and 'solid' of solids, with differentiae picking out types of corner [Aristotle]
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10961
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Definition by division is into genus and differentiae [Aristotle]
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12353
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Species and genera are largely irrelevant in 'Metaphysics' [Aristotle, by Wedin]
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12356
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If the genus is just its constitutive forms (or matter), then the definition is the account of the differentiae [Aristotle]
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17040
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If I define you, I have to use terms which are all true of other things too [Aristotle]
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12081
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Aristotle's definitions are not unique, but apply to a range of individuals [Aristotle, by Witt]
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2. Reason / D. Definition / 6. Definition by Essence
12285
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The definition is peculiar to one thing, not common to many [Aristotle]
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12382
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What it is and why it is are the same; screening defines and explains an eclipse [Aristotle]
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12080
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Essence is not all the necessary properties, since these extend beyond the definition [Aristotle, by Witt]
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11153
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A definition is an account of a what-it-was-to-be-that-thing [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / E. Argument / 3. Analogy
15770
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Some things cannot be defined, and only an analogy can be given [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 2. Infinite Regress
574
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Not everything can be proven, because that would lead to an infinite regress [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 3. Question Begging
22529
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Men are natural leaders (apart from the unnatural ones) [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 5. Fallacy of Composition
22571
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'If each is small, so too are all' is in one way false, for the whole composed of all is not small [Aristotle]
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2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 8. Category Mistake / a. Category mistakes
11034
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The differentiae of genera which are different are themselves different in kind [Aristotle]
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