Combining Philosophers

All the ideas for Anaxarchus, Iris Murdoch and Edmund O. Wilson

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37 ideas

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 2. Invocation to Philosophy
22338 An unexamined life can be virtuous [Murdoch]
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / d. Philosophy as puzzles
22337 Philosophy must keep returning to the beginning [Murdoch]
1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 3. Metaphysical Systems
23563 Philosophy moves continually between elaborate theories and the obvious facts [Murdoch]
7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 3. Levels of Reality
5311 If observation goes up a level, we expect the laws of the lower level to remain in force [Wilson,EO]
8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 5. Universals as Concepts
5312 A child first sees objects as distinct, and later as members of groups [Wilson,EO]
11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 4. Belief / a. Beliefs
5309 Beliefs are really enabling mechanisms for survival [Wilson,EO]
13. Knowledge Criteria / D. Scepticism / 1. Scepticism
3061 Anaxarchus said that he was not even sure that he knew nothing [Anaxarchus, by Diog. Laertius]
15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 6. Idealisation
22591 We know perfection when we see what is imperfect [Murdoch]
21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 1. Defining Art
22709 We should first decide what are the great works of art, with aesthetic theory following from that [Murdoch]
21. Aesthetics / B. Nature of Art / 8. The Arts / b. Literature
22341 Literature is the most important aspect of culture, because it teaches understanding of living [Murdoch]
21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 6. Value of Art
22715 Great art proves the absurdity of art for art's sake [Murdoch]
21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 7. Art and Morality
22714 Because art is love, it improves us morally [Murdoch]
22347 Appreciating beauty in art or nature opens up the good life, by restricting selfishness [Murdoch]
22712 Art and morals are essentially the same, and are both identical with love [Murdoch]
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / d. Ethical theory
5310 Philosophers study the consequences of ethics instead of its origins [Wilson,EO]
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / d. Biological ethics
22187 Genetic behaviours that have enhanced human success include aggression, rape and xenophobia [Wilson,EO, by Okasha]
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / e. Human nature
5313 The rules of human decision-making converge and overlap in a 'human nature' [Wilson,EO]
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / f. Altruism
5318 Pure hard-core altruism based on kin selection is the enemy of civilisation [Wilson,EO]
5316 We undermine altruism by rewarding it, but we reward it to encourage it [Wilson,EO]
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / g. Love
22713 Love is realising something other than oneself is real [Murdoch]
22339 Love is a central concept in morals [Murdoch]
22348 Ordinary human love is good evidence of transcendent goodness [Murdoch]
23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 1. Contractarianism
5317 The actor is most convincing who believes that his performance is real [Wilson,EO]
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / c. Particularism
22343 If I attend properly I will have no choices [Murdoch]
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / d. Teaching virtue
22349 Art trains us in the love of virtue [Murdoch]
22340 It is hard to learn goodness from others, because their virtues are part of their personal history [Murdoch]
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / j. Unity of virtue
22350 Only trivial virtues can be possessed on their own [Murdoch]
22346 Moral reflection and experience gradually reveals unity in the moral world [Murdoch]
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 1. Existentialism
20765 Man is a brave naked will, separate from a background of values and realities [Murdoch]
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 7. Existential Action
22342 Kantian existentialists care greatly for reasons for action, whereas Surrealists care nothing [Murdoch]
22351 Only a philosopher might think choices create values [Murdoch]
24. Political Theory / A. Basis of a State / 1. A People / c. A unified people
20662 The biology of societies: kin selection, parenting, mating; status, territory, contracts [Wilson,EO]
26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 2. Natural Purpose / c. Purpose denied
5308 The only human purpose is that created by our genetic history [Wilson,EO]
27. Natural Reality / G. Biology / 3. Evolution
5314 Cultural evolution is Lamarckian and fast, biological evolution is Darwinian and slow [Wilson,EO]
5315 Over 99 percent of human evolution has been in the hunter-gatherer phase [Wilson,EO]
28. God / A. Divine Nature / 6. Divine Morality / c. God is the good
22345 Moral philosophy needs a central concept with all the traditional attributes of God [Murdoch]
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 1. Religious Commitment / a. Religious Belief
5320 It is estimated that mankind has produced 100,000 religions [Wilson,EO]