42 ideas
6602 | Philosophy is like a statue which is worshipped but never advances [Bacon] |
12124 | Metaphysics is the best knowledge, because it is the simplest [Bacon] |
12123 | Natural history supports physical knowledge, which supports metaphysical knowledge [Bacon] |
12119 | Physics studies transitory matter; metaphysics what is abstracted and necessary [Bacon] |
12120 | Physics is of material and efficient causes, metaphysics of formal and final causes [Bacon] |
3123 | Science is in the business of carving nature at the joints [Segal] |
3125 | Psychology studies the way rationality links desires and beliefs to causality [Segal] |
11257 | The Pythagoreans were the first to offer definitions [Politis, by Politis] |
11235 | 'True of' is applicable to things, while 'true' is applicable to words [Politis] |
11277 | Maybe 'What is being? is confusing because we can't ask what non-being is like [Politis] |
16639 | Only individual bodies exist [Bacon] |
16625 | In hylomorphism all the explanation of actions is in the form, and the matter doesn't do anything [Bacon] |
16033 | There are only individual bodies containing law-based powers, and the Forms are these laws [Bacon] |
11248 | Necessary truths can be two-way relational, where essential truths are one-way or intrinsic [Politis] |
3105 | Is 'Hesperus = Phosphorus' metaphysically necessary, but not logically or epistemologically necessary? [Segal] |
3106 | If claims of metaphysical necessity are based on conceivability, we should be cautious [Segal] |
16724 | The senses deceive, but also show their own errors [Bacon] |
12121 | We don't assume there is no land, because we can only see sea [Bacon] |
3648 | Empiricists are collecting ants; rationalists are spinning spiders; and bees do both [Bacon] |
12117 | Science moves up and down between inventions of causes, and experiments [Bacon] |
6603 | Nature is revealed when we put it under pressure rather than observe it [Bacon] |
21950 | Science must clear away the idols of the mind if they are ever going to find the truth [Bacon] |
12127 | Many different theories will fit the observed facts [Bacon] |
3113 | The success and virtue of an explanation do not guarantee its truth [Segal] |
12126 | People love (unfortunately) extreme generality, rather than particular knowledge [Bacon] |
3112 | Folk psychology is ridiculously dualist in its assumptions [Segal] |
3108 | If 'water' has narrow content, it refers to both H2O and XYZ [Segal] |
3110 | Humans are made of H2O, so 'twins' aren't actually feasible [Segal] |
3124 | Externalists can't assume old words refer to modern natural kinds [Segal] |
3117 | Concepts can survive a big change in extension [Segal] |
3104 | Must we relate to some diamonds to understand them? [Segal] |
3103 | Maybe content involves relations to a language community [Segal] |
3111 | Externalism can't explain concepts that have no reference [Segal] |
3109 | If content is external, so are beliefs and desires [Segal] |
3116 | Maybe experts fix content, not ordinary users [Segal] |
3121 | If content is narrow, my perfect twin shares my concepts [Segal] |
3118 | If thoughts ARE causal, we can't explain how they cause things [Segal] |
3119 | Even 'mass' cannot be defined in causal terms [Segal] |
12125 | Teleological accounts are fine in metaphysics, but they stop us from searching for the causes [Bacon] |
16624 | Stripped and passive matter is just a human invention [Bacon] |
12118 | Essences are part of first philosophy, but as part of nature, not part of logic [Bacon] |
7399 | Even without religion, there are many guides to morality [Bacon] |