Combining Philosophers

All the ideas for Hesiod, Avineri,S/De-Shalit,A and Ram Neta

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8 ideas

11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 4. Belief / a. Beliefs

19696	There are reasons 'for which' a belief is held, reasons 'why' it is believed, and reasons 'to' believe it [Neta]
	Full Idea: We must distinguish between something's being a 'reason for which' a creature believes something, and its being a 'reason why' a creature believes something. ...We must also distinguish a 'reason for which' from a 'reason to' believe something.
	From: Ram Neta (The Basing Relation [2011], Intro)
	A reaction: He doesn't spell the distinctions out clearly. I take it that 'for which' is my personal justification, 'why' is the dodgy prejudices that cause my belief. and 'to' is some actual good reasons, of which I may be unaware.

19697	The basing relation of a reason to a belief should both support and explain the belief [Neta]
	Full Idea: A reason has a 'basing relation' with a belief if it (i) rationally supports holding the belief, and (ii) explains why the belief is held.
	From: Ram Neta (The Basing Relation [2011], Intro)
	A reaction: Presumably a false reason would fit this account. Why not talk of 'grounding', or is that word now reserved for metaphysics? If I hypnotise you into a belief, would my hypnotic power be the basing reason? Fits (ii), but not (i).

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / a. Virtues

20239	Unlike us, the early Greeks thought envy was a good thing, and hope a bad thing [Hesiod, by Nietzsche]
	Full Idea: Hesiod reckons envy among the effects of the good and benevolent Eris, and there was nothing offensive in according envy to the gods. ...Likewise the Greeks were different from us in their evaluation of hope: one felt it to be blind and malicious.
	From: report of Hesiod (works [c.700 BCE]) by Friedrich Nietzsche - Dawn (Daybreak) 038
	A reaction: Presumably this would be understandable envy, and unreasonable hope. Ridiculous envy can't possibly be good, and modest and sensible hope can't possibly be bad. I suspect he wants to exaggerate the relativism.

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / a. Liberalism basics

22808	Liberalism is minimal government, or individual rights, or equality [Avineri/De-Shalit]
	Full Idea: Liberalism has been defended as a theory of minimal government, or as a theory of basic individual rights, or as an egalitarian philosophy.
	From: Avineri,S/De-Shalit,A (Intro to 'Communitarianism and Individualism' [1992], §5)
	A reaction: Minimal government tends towards anarchist liberalism, but then what grounds the right to be free of government? Presumably any sensible theory of rights has to be egalitarian. What could ground unequal rights?

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / g. Liberalism critique

22803	Can individualist theories justify an obligation to fight in a war? [Avineri/De-Shalit]
	Full Idea: How can an individualist theory justify an obligation to fight for the state in the case of war?
	From: Avineri,S/De-Shalit,A (Intro to 'Communitarianism and Individualism' [1992], §4)
	A reaction: The most dramatic example of obliging citizens to contribute to the state, the notable other case being taxes. Some imagined ancient 'social contract' doesn't seem sufficient for later generations. Does being naturally sociable create such obligations?

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 7. Communitarianism / a. Communitarianism

22804	Autonomy is better achieved within a community [Avineri/De-Shalit]
	Full Idea: Communitarians often argue that personal autonomy is better achieved within the community.
	From: Avineri,S/De-Shalit,A (Intro to 'Communitarianism and Individualism' [1992], §4)
	A reaction: Hegel is the source of this view. The simplest version of the point is that autonomy can only be asserted if a person has rights, which can be asserted and defended, and only a society can provide that. That is plausible.

22806	Communitarians avoid oppression for the common good, by means of small mediating communities [Avineri/De-Shalit]
	Full Idea: Because of the mediating structures of small communities, communitarians are less fearful [than liberals] of the emergence of an oppressive government as a result of the politics of the common good.
	From: Avineri,S/De-Shalit,A (Intro to 'Communitarianism and Individualism' [1992], §5)
	A reaction: A politics of the common good has an obvious implicit conservatism because the central consensus is always likely to disapprove of errant individuals, of all sorts. Only individual rights can block an oppressive government.

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 7. Communitarianism / b. Against communitarianism

22807	If our values are given to us by society then we have no grounds to criticise them [Avineri/De-Shalit]
	Full Idea: If communitarians are right that we are not free to choose, but rather that our values are determined by our community, the individualists say, then there is no reason to criticise the values of one's society.
	From: Avineri,S/De-Shalit,A (Intro to 'Communitarianism and Individualism' [1992], §5)
	A reaction: This is an obvious challenge, but if one's concept of community is a forum for free debate then it can be overcome. There is no avoiding the fact, though, that a good community always needs a high degree of consensus.