Combining Philosophers

All the ideas for Proclus, Daniel Garber and Phil Dowe

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7 ideas

7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 6. Fundamentals / c. Monads

12695	Epicurean atomists say body is sensible, to distinguish it from space. [Garber]
	Full Idea: The Epicurean atomists also defined body in terms of the property of being sensible, in order to distinguish it from empty space, which is not sensible.
	From: Daniel Garber (Leibniz:Body,Substance,Monad [2009], 1)
	A reaction: This is a very illuminating bit of background, for those of us who have the knee-jerk reaction that monadology is barking mad.

14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / g. Causal explanations

13165	Geometrical proofs do not show causes, as when we prove a triangle contains two right angles [Proclus]
	Full Idea: Geometry does not ask 'why?' ..When from the exterior angle equalling two opposite interior angles it is shown that the interior angles make two right angles, this is not a causal demonstration. With no exterior angle they still equal two right angles.
	From: Proclus (Commentary on Euclid's 'Elements' [c.452], p.161-2), quoted by Paolo Mancosu - Explanation in Mathematics §5
	A reaction: A very nice example. It is hard to imagine how one might demonstrate the cause of the angles making two right angles. If you walk, turn left x°, then turn left y°, then turn left z°, and x+y+z=180°, you end up going in the original direction.

18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 1. Abstract Thought

9569	The origin of geometry started in sensation, then moved to calculation, and then to reason [Proclus]
	Full Idea: It is unsurprising that geometry was discovered in the necessity of Nile land measurement, since everything in the world of generation goes from imperfection to perfection. They would naturally pass from sense-perception to calculation, and so to reason.
	From: Proclus (Commentary on Euclid's 'Elements' [c.452]), quoted by Charles Chihara - A Structural Account of Mathematics 9.12 n55
	A reaction: The last sentence is the core of my view on abstraction, that it proceeds by moving through levels of abstraction, approaching more and more general truths.

26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 6. Early Matter Theories / g. Atomism

12705	Epicurean atoms are distinguished by their extreme hardness [Garber]
	Full Idea: In Epicurean atomism (of Cordemoy, for example) there is a world of basic things distinguished by virtue of their extreme hardness.
	From: Daniel Garber (Leibniz:Body,Substance,Monad [2009], 2)
	A reaction: Garber says that Leibniz espouses 'substantial atomism', which is different from this. Leibniz's atoms have active power, where these atoms just embody total resistance.

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 4. Naturalised causation

4787	Causation interaction is an exchange of conserved quantities, such as mass, energy or charge [Dowe, by Psillos]
	Full Idea: Dowe argues that a 'causal process' is a world line of an object with a conserved quantity (such as mass, energy, momentum, charge), and a 'causal interaction' is an exchange between two such objects.
	From: report of Phil Dowe (Physical Causation [2000]) by Stathis Psillos - Causation and Explanation §4.4
	A reaction: This looks very promising. Nice distinction between causal process and causal interaction. 'Conserved quantities' is better physics than just 'energy'. We can hand causation over to the scientist?

14586	Physical causation consists in transference of conserved quantities [Dowe, by Mumford/Anjum]
	Full Idea: For Dowe physical causation consists in transference of conserved quantities.
	From: report of Phil Dowe (Physical Causation [2000]) by S.Mumford/R.Lill Anjum - Getting Causes from Powers 10.2
	A reaction: [see Psillos 2002 on this] This is evidently a modification of the idea of physical causation as energy-transfer, but narrowing it down to exclude trivial cases. I guess. Need better physics.

26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 9. Counterfactual Claims

4788	Dowe commends the Conserved Quantity theory as it avoids mention of counterfactuals [Dowe, by Psillos]
	Full Idea: Dowe commends the Conserved Quantity theory because it avoids any mention of counterfactuals.
	From: report of Phil Dowe (Physical Causation [2000]) by Stathis Psillos - Causation and Explanation §4.4
	A reaction: Clearly the truth of a counterfactual is quite a problem for an empiricist/scientist, but one needs to distinguish between reality and our grasp of it. We commit ourselves to counterfactuals, even if causation is transfer of conserved quantities.