Combining Philosophers

All the ideas for H.Putnam/P.Oppenheim, Robert Kirk and Niccolo Machiavelli

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25 ideas

7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 2. Reduction
4986 A weaker kind of reductionism than direct translation is the use of 'bridge laws' [Kirk,R]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / j. Explanations by reduction
20653 Six reduction levels: groups, lives, cells, molecules, atoms, particles [Putnam/Oppenheim, by Watson]
15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 1. Consciousness / c. Parts of consciousness
5001 Maybe we should see intentionality and consciousness as a single problem, not two [Kirk,R]
15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 4. Intentionality / a. Nature of intentionality
4993 If a bird captures a worm, we could say its behaviour is 'about' the worm [Kirk,R]
15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 4. Intentionality / b. Intentionality theories
5000 Behaviourism says intentionality is an external relation; language of thought says it's internal [Kirk,R]
17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 8. Dualism of Mind Critique
4982 Dualism implies some brain events with no physical cause, and others with no physical effect [Kirk,R]
17. Mind and Body / B. Behaviourism / 1. Behaviourism
4991 Behaviourism seems a good theory for intentional states, but bad for phenomenal ones [Kirk,R]
4994 Behaviourism offers a good alternative to simplistic unitary accounts of mental relationships [Kirk,R]
17. Mind and Body / B. Behaviourism / 2. Potential Behaviour
4992 In 'holistic' behaviourism we say a mental state is a complex of many dispositions [Kirk,R]
17. Mind and Body / B. Behaviourism / 4. Behaviourism Critique
4990 The inverted spectrum idea is often regarded as an objection to behaviourism [Kirk,R]
17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 3. Eliminativism
4984 All meaningful psychological statements can be translated into physics [Kirk,R]
17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 4. Connectionism
4998 Instead of representation by sentences, it can be by a distribution of connectionist strengths [Kirk,R]
17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 7. Anti-Physicalism / b. Multiple realisability
4985 If mental states are multiply realisable, they could not be translated into physical terms [Kirk,R]
18. Thought / D. Concepts / 2. Origin of Concepts / c. Nativist concepts
4997 It seems unlikely that most concepts are innate, if a theory must be understood to grasp them [Kirk,R]
19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 5. Meaning as Verification
4999 For behaviourists language is just a special kind of behaviour [Kirk,R]
19. Language / B. Reference / 1. Reference theories
4995 Behaviourists doubt whether reference is a single type of relation [Kirk,R]
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]
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 / 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 / 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]