Combining Philosophers

All the ideas for B Hale / C Wright, Hermann von Helmholtz and Philip Kitcher

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61 ideas

2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 1. Fallacy
It is a fallacy to explain the obscure with the even more obscure [Hale/Wright]
4. Formal Logic / E. Nonclassical Logics / 2. Intuitionist Logic
Intuitionists rely on assertability instead of truth, but assertability relies on truth [Kitcher]
5. Theory of Logic / A. Overview of Logic / 6. Classical Logic
Classical logic is our preconditions for assessing empirical evidence [Kitcher]
I believe classical logic because I was taught it and use it, but it could be undermined [Kitcher]
5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / d. Singular terms
Singular terms refer if they make certain atomic statements true [Hale/Wright]
5. Theory of Logic / L. Paradox / 6. Paradoxes in Language / c. Grelling's paradox
If 'x is heterological' iff it does not apply to itself, then 'heterological' is heterological if it isn't heterological [Hale/Wright]
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 1. Mathematics
Kitcher says maths is an idealisation of the world, and our operations in dealing with it [Kitcher, by Resnik]
Mathematical a priorism is conceptualist, constructivist or realist [Kitcher]
The interest or beauty of mathematics is when it uses current knowledge to advance undestanding [Kitcher]
The 'beauty' or 'interest' of mathematics is just explanatory power [Kitcher]
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 3. Nature of Numbers / g. Real numbers
Real numbers stand to measurement as natural numbers stand to counting [Kitcher]
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 3. Nature of Numbers / j. Complex numbers
Complex numbers were only accepted when a geometrical model for them was found [Kitcher]
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 4. Using Numbers / a. Units
A one-operation is the segregation of a single object [Kitcher]
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 4. Using Numbers / g. Applying mathematics
The old view is that mathematics is useful in the world because it describes the world [Kitcher]
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 5. The Infinite / k. Infinitesimals
With infinitesimals, you divide by the time, then set the time to zero [Kitcher]
6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 4. Axioms for Number / g. Incompleteness of Arithmetic
The incompletability of formal arithmetic reveals that logic also cannot be completely characterized [Hale/Wright]
6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 5. Definitions of Number / d. Hume's Principle
Neo-logicism founds arithmetic on Hume's Principle along with second-order logic [Hale/Wright]
6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 5. Definitions of Number / e. Caesar problem
The Julius Caesar problem asks for a criterion for the concept of a 'number' [Hale/Wright]
6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 7. Mathematical Structuralism / e. Structuralism critique
If structures are relative, this undermines truth-value and objectivity [Hale/Wright]
The structural view of numbers doesn't fit their usage outside arithmetical contexts [Hale/Wright]
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 2. Intuition of Mathematics
Mathematical intuition is not the type platonism needs [Kitcher]
If mathematics comes through intuition, that is either inexplicable, or too subjective [Kitcher]
Intuition is no basis for securing a priori knowledge, because it is fallible [Kitcher]
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 4. Mathematical Empiricism / a. Mathematical empiricism
Mathematical knowledge arises from basic perception [Kitcher]
My constructivism is mathematics as an idealization of collecting and ordering objects [Kitcher]
We derive limited mathematics from ordinary things, and erect powerful theories on their basis [Kitcher]
The defenders of complex numbers had to show that they could be expressed in physical terms [Kitcher]
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 6. Logicism / a. Early logicism
Logicism is only noteworthy if logic has a privileged position in our ontology and epistemology [Hale/Wright]
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 6. Logicism / c. Neo-logicism
The neo-Fregean is more optimistic than Frege about contextual definitions of numbers [Hale/Wright]
Logicism might also be revived with a quantificational approach, or an abstraction-free approach [Hale/Wright]
Neo-Fregeanism might be better with truth-makers, rather than quantifier commitment [Hale/Wright]
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 6. Logicism / d. Logicism critique
Analyticity avoids abstract entities, but can there be truth without reference? [Kitcher]
Are neo-Fregeans 'maximalists' - that everything which can exist does exist? [Hale/Wright]
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 10. Constructivism / a. Constructivism
Arithmetic is an idealizing theory [Kitcher]
Arithmetic is made true by the world, but is also made true by our constructions [Kitcher]
We develop a language for correlations, and use it to perform higher level operations [Kitcher]
Constructivism is ontological (that it is the work of an agent) and epistemological (knowable a priori) [Kitcher]
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 10. Constructivism / c. Conceptualism
Conceptualists say we know mathematics a priori by possessing mathematical concepts [Kitcher]
If meaning makes mathematics true, you still need to say what the meanings refer to [Kitcher]
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / a. Ontological commitment
The identity of Pegasus with Pegasus may be true, despite the non-existence [Hale/Wright]
8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 3. Types of Properties
Maybe we have abundant properties for semantics, and sparse properties for ontology [Hale/Wright]
8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 10. Properties as Predicates
A successful predicate guarantees the existence of a property - the way of being it expresses [Hale/Wright]
9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 2. Abstract Objects / b. Need for abstracta
Abstract objects were a bad way of explaining the structure in mathematics [Kitcher]
9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 2. Abstract Objects / c. Modern abstracta
Objects just are what singular terms refer to [Hale/Wright]
10. Modality / D. Knowledge of Modality / 1. A Priori Necessary
Many necessities are inexpressible, and unknowable a priori [Kitcher]
10. Modality / D. Knowledge of Modality / 2. A Priori Contingent
Knowing our own existence is a priori, but not necessary [Kitcher]
12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 1. Nature of the A Priori
A priori knowledge comes from available a priori warrants that produce truth [Kitcher]
12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 6. A Priori from Reason
In long mathematical proofs we can't remember the original a priori basis [Kitcher]
12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 9. A Priori from Concepts
Knowledge is a priori if the experience giving you the concepts thus gives you the knowledge [Kitcher]
12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 10. A Priori as Subjective
We have some self-knowledge a priori, such as knowledge of our own existence [Kitcher]
13. Knowledge Criteria / A. Justification Problems / 1. Justification / a. Justification issues
A 'warrant' is a process which ensures that a true belief is knowledge [Kitcher]
13. Knowledge Criteria / A. Justification Problems / 1. Justification / c. Defeasibility
If experiential can defeat a belief, then its justification depends on the defeater's absence [Kitcher, by Casullo]
15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 6. Idealisation
Idealisation trades off accuracy for simplicity, in varying degrees [Kitcher]
18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 7. Abstracta by Equivalence
Abstracted objects are not mental creations, but depend on equivalence between given entities [Hale/Wright]
One first-order abstraction principle is Frege's definition of 'direction' in terms of parallel lines [Hale/Wright]
Abstractionism needs existential commitment and uniform truth-conditions [Hale/Wright]
Equivalence abstraction refers to objects otherwise beyond our grasp [Hale/Wright]
19. Language / B. Reference / 4. Descriptive Reference / a. Sense and reference
Reference needs truth as well as sense [Hale/Wright]
19. Language / E. Analyticity / 2. Analytic Truths
Many conceptual truths ('yellow is extended') are not analytic, as derived from logic and definitions [Hale/Wright]
27. Natural Reality / A. Classical Physics / 2. Thermodynamics / a. Energy
Helmholtz used 'energy' to mathematically link heat, light, electricity and magnetism [Helmholtz, by Watson]
27. Natural Reality / A. Classical Physics / 2. Thermodynamics / c. Conservation of energy
All forces conserve the sum of kinetic and potential energy [Helmholtz, by Papineau]