Combining Philosophers

All the ideas for Herodotus, George Santayana and Kretzmann/Stump

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5 ideas

1. Philosophy / C. History of Philosophy / 1. History of Philosophy

8000	He who is ignorant of the history of philosophy is doomed to repeat it [Santayana, by MacIntyre]
	Full Idea: Santayana remarked that he who is ignorant of the history of philosophy is doomed to repeat it.
	From: report of George Santayana (The Life of Reason [1906]) by Alasdair MacIntyre - A Short History of Ethics Ch.1
	A reaction: Santayana's remark seems to have been about history in general, so this is a Macintyre thought. It obviously has a lot of truth, and most great philosophers seem hugely knowledgeable. However, ignorance brings a kind of freedom.

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 6. Criterion for Existence

18521	The criterion of existence is the possibility of action [Santayana]
	Full Idea: The possibility of action ...is the criterion of existence, and the test of substantiality.
	From: George Santayana (The Realm of Matter [1930], p.107), quoted by John Heil - The Universe as We Find It
	A reaction: I rather like this. I think I would say the power is the criterion of existence.

14. Science / A. Basis of Science / 2. Demonstration

22110	Demonstration provides depth of understanding and explanation (rather than foundations) [Kretzmann/Stump]
	Full Idea: According to Aquinas, what demonstration provides is not so much knowledge as conceived by foundationalists as depth of understanding and explanatory insight.
	From: Kretzmann/Stump (Aquinas, Thomas [2005]), quoted by Kretzmann/Stump - Aquinas, Thomas 11
	A reaction: It was noticeable that Aristotle didn't make clear what demonstration aims to achieve, and he didn't employ it elsewhere in his writings. We aim for understanding, not for well grounded propositions. Understanding needs implications and mechanisms.

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / e. Human nature

23060	The good is not relative, but is rooted in facts about human needs [Santayana]
	Full Idea: The good is by no means relative to opinion, but is rooted in the unconscious and fatal nature of living beings, a nature which predetermines for them the difference between foods and poisons, happiness and misery.
	From: George Santayana (Platonism and the Spiritual Life [1927], p.3), quoted by John Gray - Seven Types of Atheism 6
	A reaction: That is, he concedes that the good is relative to human beings, but that the relevant facts about human beings are not relative. I think he has the correct picture. The key point is that the good is 'rooted' in something, and doesn't just float free.

29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 2. Immortality / a. Immortality

1513	The Egyptians were the first to say the soul is immortal and reincarnated [Herodotus]
	Full Idea: The Egyptians were the first to claim that the soul of a human being is immortal, and that each time the body dies the soul enters another creature just as it is being born.
	From: Herodotus (The Histories [c.435 BCE], 2.123.2)