Combining Philosophers

All the ideas for J.B. Watson, Lawrence Kohlberg and Cratylus

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4 ideas

9. Objects / E. Objects over Time / 8. Continuity of Rivers

579	Cratylus said you couldn't even step into the same river once [Cratylus, by Aristotle]
	Full Idea: Cratylus was appalled that Heraclitus said you could not step twice into the same river, because it was already going too far to admit stepping into the same river once.
	From: report of Cratylus (fragments/reports [c.425 BCE]) by Aristotle - Metaphysics 1010a
	A reaction: Compare Idea 427.

13. Knowledge Criteria / D. Scepticism / 1. Scepticism

578	Cratylus decided speech was hopeless, and his only expression was the movement of a finger [Cratylus, by Aristotle]
	Full Idea: Cratylus thought speech of any kind was radically inappropriate and that expression should be restricted exclusively to the movement of the finger.
	From: report of Cratylus (fragments/reports [c.425 BCE]) by Aristotle - Metaphysics 1010a

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / b. Defining ethics

5319	Avoid punishment, then get rewards, avoid rejection, avoid guilt, accept contracts, follow conscience [Kohlberg, by Wilson,EO]
	Full Idea: Kohlberg's six stages of ethical development are: 1) avoid punishment, 2) obtain rewards, 3) avoid rejection, 4) avoid censure and guilt, 5) recognise contracts, 6) individual conscience.
	From: report of Lawrence Kohlberg (works [1969]) by Edmund O. Wilson - On Human Nature p.166
	A reaction: This doesn't throw much light on philosophical problems, but the order of the six stages is interesting. Beware of oversimplification, because a situation can put pressure on any one of these six aspects of morality.

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

7517	I could take a healthy infant and train it up to be any type of specialist I choose [Watson,JB]
	Full Idea: Give me a dozen healthy infants, and my own specified world to bring them up in, and I'll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select - doctor, artist, beggar, thief - regardless of his ancestry.
	From: J.B. Watson (Behaviorism [1924], Ch.2), quoted by Steven Pinker - The Blank Slate
	A reaction: This was a famous pronouncement rejecting the concept of human nature as in any way fixed - a total assertion of nurture over nature. Modern research seems to be suggesting that Watson is (alas?) wrong.