Combining Philosophers

All the ideas for Charles Darwin, Michel de Montaigne and Niccolo Machiavelli

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24 ideas

1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 2. Wise People
6259 Why can't a wise man doubt everything? [Montaigne]
1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 3. Wisdom Deflated
6263 No wisdom could make us comfortably walk a wide beam if it was high in the air [Montaigne]
1. Philosophy / B. History of Ideas / 4. Early European Thought
23122 Montaigne was the founding father of liberalism [Montaigne, by Gopnik]
3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 3. Value of Truth
6258 Virtue is the distinctive mark of truth, and its greatest product [Montaigne]
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 3. Reality
6262 We lack some sense or other, and hence objects may have hidden features [Montaigne]
13. Knowledge Criteria / D. Scepticism / 1. Scepticism
6260 Sceptics say there is truth, but no means of making or testing lasting judgements [Montaigne]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 3. Best Explanation / a. Best explanation
16861 A false theory could hardly rival the explanatory power of natural selection [Darwin]
15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 1. Mind / d. Location of mind
6261 The soul is in the brain, as shown by head injuries [Montaigne]
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / g. Moral responsibility
7496 Rules and duties are based on the will, as that is all we control [Montaigne]
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / e. Death
7495 Apart from the fear, dying is an easy duty [Montaigne]
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 3. Pleasure / c. Value of pleasure
22269 We must fight fiercely to hang on to the few pleasures which survive into old age [Montaigne]
23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 3. Promise Keeping
7127 If men are good you should keep promises, but they aren't, so you needn't [Machiavelli]
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / c. Motivation for virtue
20482 Virtue inspires Stoics, but I want a good temperament [Montaigne]
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / e. Character
20480 There is not much point in only becoming good near the end of your life [Montaigne]
24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 3. Constitutions
6309 The principle foundations of all states are good laws and good armies [Machiavelli]
24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 2. Leaders / c. Despotism
6306 People are vengeful, so be generous to them, or destroy them [Machiavelli]
6305 To retain a conquered state, wipe out the ruling family, and preserve everything else [Machiavelli]
6308 A sensible conqueror does all his harmful deeds immediately, because people soon forget [Machiavelli]
25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 3. Free speech
20481 Nothing we say can be worse than unsaying it in the face of authority [Montaigne]
25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 1. War / a. Just wars
6307 A desire to conquer, and men who do it, are always praised, or not blamed [Machiavelli]
25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 1. War / c. Combatants
20479 People at home care far more than soldiers risking death about the outcome of wars [Montaigne]
25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 2. Religion in Society
7486 Machiavelli emancipated politics from religion [Machiavelli, by Watson]
19813 All legislators invoke God in support of extraordinary laws, because their justification is not obvious [Machiavelli]
7126 Rulers should preserve the foundations of religion, to ensure good behaviour and unity [Machiavelli]