Combining Philosophers

Ideas for New Scientist writers, Bertrand Russell and Mary Astell

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27 ideas

8. Modes of Existence / A. Relations / 1. Nature of Relations
21341 Philosophers of logic and maths insisted that a vocabulary of relations was essential [Russell, by Heil]
21534 The only thing we can say about relations is that they relate [Russell]
21540 Relational propositions seem to be 'about' their terms, rather than about the relation [Russell]
21562 There is no complexity without relations, so no propositions, and no truth [Russell]
5371 Because we depend on correspondence, we know relations better than we know the items that relate [Russell]
5407 That Edinburgh is north of London is a non-mental fact, so relations are independent universals [Russell]
21576 With asymmetrical relations (before/after) the reduction to properties is impossible [Russell]
8. Modes of Existence / A. Relations / 4. Formal Relations / a. Types of relation
14430 If a relation is symmetrical and transitive, it has to be reflexive [Russell]
10586 'Reflexiveness' holds between a term and itself, and cannot be inferred from symmetry and transitiveness [Russell]
14432 'Asymmetry' is incompatible with its converse; a is husband of b, so b can't be husband of a [Russell]
8. Modes of Existence / A. Relations / 4. Formal Relations / b. Equivalence relation
10585 Symmetrical and transitive relations are formally like equality [Russell]
8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 11. Properties as Sets
9127 Russell refuted Frege's principle that there is a set for each property [Russell, by Sorensen]
21575 When we attribute a common quality to a group, we can forget the quality and just talk of the group [Russell]
8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 12. Denial of Properties
6063 Russell can't attribute existence to properties [McGinn on Russell]
8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 13. Tropes / b. Critique of tropes
14327 Trope theorists cannot explain how tropes resemble each other [Russell, by Mumford]
8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 1. Universals
5383 Every complete sentence must contain at least one word (a verb) which stands for a universal [Russell]
4428 Propositions express relations (prepositions and verbs) as well as properties (nouns and adjectives) [Russell]
5406 Confused views of reality result from thinking that only nouns and adjectives represent universals [Russell]
4479 All universals are like the relation "is north of", in having no physical location at all [Russell, by Loux]
8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 2. Need for Universals
21710 We know a universal in 'yellow differs from blue' or 'yellow resembles blue less than green does' [Russell]
4030 Russell claims that universals are needed to explain a priori knowledge (as their relations) [Russell, by Mellor/Oliver]
4427 Every sentence contains at least one word denoting a universal, so we need universals to know truth [Russell]
8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 4. Uninstantiated Universals
5409 Normal existence is in time, so we must say that universals 'subsist' [Russell]
8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 5. Universals as Concepts
5408 If we identify whiteness with a thought, we can never think of it twice; whiteness is the object of a thought [Russell]
8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 2. Resemblance Nominalism
4441 'Resemblance Nominalism' won't work, because the theory treats resemblance itself as a universal [Russell]
8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 3. Predicate Nominalism
6440 Universals can't just be words, because words themselves are universals [Russell]
8. Modes of Existence / E. Nominalism / 4. Concept Nominalism
4429 If we consider whiteness to be merely a mental 'idea', we rob it of its universality [Russell]