Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Stephen Mumford, Alcmaeon and Stathis Psillos

expand these ideas     |    start again     |     choose another area for these philosophers

display all the ideas for this combination of philosophers

29 ideas

26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 1. Laws of Nature
9444 There are four candidates for the logical form of law statements [Mumford]
14338 In the 'laws' view events are basic, and properties are categorical, only existing when manifested [Mumford]
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 3. Laws and Generalities
14339 Without laws, how can a dispositionalist explain general behaviour within kinds? [Mumford]
4793 "All gold cubes are smaller than one cubic mile" is a true universal generalisation, but not a law [Psillos]
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 4. Regularities / a. Regularity theory
14341 Dretske and Armstrong base laws on regularities between individual properties, not between events [Mumford]
4397 Regularity doesn't seem sufficient for causation [Psillos]
4792 A Humean view of causation says it is regularities, and causal facts supervene on non-causal facts [Psillos]
4801 The regularity of a cock's crow is used to predict dawn, even though it doesn't cause it [Psillos]
9441 Regularity laws don't explain, because they have no governing role [Mumford]
14340 It is a regularity that whenever a person sneezes, someone (somewhere) promptly coughs [Mumford]
9431 Pure regularities are rare, usually only found in idealized conditions [Mumford]
9415 Would it count as a regularity if the only five As were also B? [Mumford]
4401 It is not a law of nature that all the coins in my pocket are euros, though it is a regularity [Psillos]
9416 Regularities are more likely with few instances, and guaranteed with no instances! [Mumford]
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 4. Regularities / b. Best system theory
9422 If the best system describes a nomological system, the laws are in nature, not in the description [Mumford]
9421 The best systems theory says regularities derive from laws, rather than constituting them [Mumford]
4796 Laws are sets of regularities within a simple and strong coherent system of wider regularities [Psillos]
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 5. Laws from Universals
9432 Laws of nature are necessary relations between universal properties, rather than about particulars [Mumford]
9433 If laws can be uninstantiated, this favours the view of them as connecting universals [Mumford]
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / b. Scientific necessity
14345 The necessity of an electron being an electron is conceptual, and won't ground necessary laws [Mumford]
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / c. Essence and laws
9434 Laws of nature are just the possession of essential properties by natural kinds [Mumford]
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / d. Knowing essences
14307 Some dispositions are so far unknown, until we learn how to manifest them [Mumford]
9437 To distinguish accidental from essential properties, we must include possible members of kinds [Mumford]
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / e. Anti scientific essentialism
4799 Dispositional essentialism can't explain its key distinction between essential and non-essential properties [Psillos]
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 9. Counterfactual Claims
4780 In some counterfactuals, the counterfactual event happens later than its consequent [Psillos]
4791 Counterfactual theories say causes make a difference - if c hadn't occurred, then e wouldn't occur [Psillos]
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 11. Against Laws of Nature
9439 The Central Dilemma is how to explain an internal or external view of laws which govern [Mumford]
9412 You only need laws if you (erroneously) think the world is otherwise inert [Mumford]
9411 There are no laws of nature in Aristotle; they became standard with Descartes and Newton [Mumford]