Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Frank P. Ramsey, Sextus Empiricus and Gonzalo Rodriguez-Pereyra

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8 ideas

26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 4. Mathematical Nature
The tektraktys (1+2+3+4=10) is the 'fount of ever-flowing nature' [Sext.Empiricus]
     Full Idea: The tektraktys (1+2+3+4=10) is the 'fount of ever-flowing nature', because nature is a harmony of three concords (4th,5th and octave), and these ratios (4:3, 3:2, and 2:1) are found in the tektraktys.
     From: Sextus Empiricus (Against the Professors (six books) [c.180], 7.95)
26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 4. Naturalised causation
Some say that causes are physical, some say not [Sext.Empiricus]
     Full Idea: Some affirm cause to be corporeal, some incorporeal.
     From: Sextus Empiricus (Outlines of Pyrrhonism [c.180], III.14)
26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 7. Eliminating causation
If there were no causes then everything would have been randomly produced by everything [Sext.Empiricus]
     Full Idea: If causes were non-existent everything would have been produced by everything, and at random.
     From: Sextus Empiricus (Outlines of Pyrrhonism [c.180], III.18)
Knowing an effect results from a cause means knowing that the cause belongs with the effect, which is circular [Sext.Empiricus]
     Full Idea: To know an effect belongs to a cause, we must also know that that cause belongs to that effect, and this is circular.
     From: Sextus Empiricus (Outlines of Pyrrhonism [c.180], III.21)
Cause can't exist before effect, or exist at the same time, so it doesn't exist [Sext.Empiricus]
     Full Idea: If cause neither subsists before its effect, nor subsists along with it, nor does the effect precede the cause, it would seem that it has no substantial existence at all.
     From: Sextus Empiricus (Outlines of Pyrrhonism [c.180], III.27)
26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / c. Conditions of causation
Causes are either equal to the effect, or they link equally with other causes, or they contribute slightly [Sext.Empiricus]
     Full Idea: The majority say causes are immediate (when they are directly proportional to effects), or associate (making an equal contribution to effects), or cooperant (making a slight contribution).
     From: Sextus Empiricus (Outlines of Pyrrhonism [c.180], III.15)
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 4. Regularities / b. Best system theory
All knowledge needs systematizing, and the axioms would be the laws of nature [Ramsey]
     Full Idea: Even if we knew everything, we should still want to systematize our knowledge as a deductive system, and the general axioms in that system would be the fundamental laws of nature.
     From: Frank P. Ramsey (Law and Causality [1928], §A)
     A reaction: This is the Mill-Ramsey-Lewis view. Cf. Idea 9420.
Causal laws result from the simplest axioms of a complete deductive system [Ramsey]
     Full Idea: Causal laws are consequences of those propositions which we should take as axioms if we knew everything and organized it as simply as possible in a deductive system.
     From: Frank P. Ramsey (Law and Causality [1928], §B)
     A reaction: Cf. Idea 9418.