Combining Philosophers

All the ideas for John Dupré, Alan McMichael and Richard Polt

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24 ideas

1. Philosophy / H. Continental Philosophy / 3. Hermeneutics
15575 Knowledge is not a static set of correct propositions, but a continuing search for better interpretations [Polt]
7. Existence / E. Categories / 1. Categories
17377 All descriptive language is classificatory [Dupré]
7. Existence / E. Categories / 2. Categorisation
17376 We should aim for a classification which tells us as much as possible about the object [Dupré]
9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 3. Individual Essences
14637 Only individuals have essences, so numbers (as a higher type based on classes) lack them [McMichael]
9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 8. Essence as Explanatory
17390 Natural kinds don't need essentialism to be explanatory [Dupré]
9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 9. Essence and Properties
14636 Essences are the interesting necessary properties resulting from a thing's own peculiar nature [McMichael]
14640 Maybe essential properties have to be intrinsic, as well as necessary? [McMichael]
9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 10. Essence as Species
17388 It seems that species lack essential properties, so they can't be natural kinds [Dupré]
17389 A species might have its essential genetic mechanism replaced by a new one [Dupré]
9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 15. Against Essentialism
14638 Essentialism is false, because it implies the existence of necessary singular propositions [McMichael]
10. Modality / B. Possibility / 1. Possibility
15568 When we consider possibilities, there must be something we are considering [Polt]
14. Science / A. Basis of Science / 4. Prediction
17374 The possibility of prediction rests on determinism [Dupré]
18. Thought / C. Content / 5. Twin Earth
17378 Presumably molecular structure seems important because we never have the Twin Earth experience [Dupré]
26. Natural Theory / B. Natural Kinds / 1. Natural Kinds
17381 Phylogenetics involves history, and cladism rests species on splits in lineage [Dupré]
17385 Kinds don't do anything (including evolve) because they are abstract [Dupré]
26. Natural Theory / B. Natural Kinds / 7. Critique of Kinds
17375 Natural kinds are decided entirely by the intentions of our classification [Dupré]
17379 Borders between species are much less clear in vegetables than among animals [Dupré]
17384 Even atoms of an element differ, in the energy levels of their electrons [Dupré]
17387 Ecologists favour classifying by niche, even though that can clash with genealogy [Dupré]
17382 Cooks, unlike scientists, distinguish garlic from onions [Dupré]
17380 Wales may count as fish [Dupré]
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 5. Laws from Universals
14639 Individuals enter into laws only through their general qualities and relations [McMichael]
27. Natural Reality / G. Biology / 5. Species
17383 Species are the lowest-level classification in biology [Dupré]
17386 The theory of evolution is mainly about species [Dupré]