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Single Idea 19433
[filed under theme 2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 9. Limits of Reason
]
Full Idea
The Buridan's Ass case of perfect equilibrium is chimerical. ...The universe has no centre and its parts are infinitely varied; thus it will never happen that all will be perfectly equal and will strike equally from one side or the other.
Gist of Idea
The universe is infinitely varied, so the Buridan's Ass dilemma could never happen
Source
Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Coste [1707], 1707)
Book Ref
Leibniz,Gottfried: 'Leibniz Selections', ed/tr. Wiener,Philip P. [Scribners 1951], p.483
A Reaction
Can the great Leibniz have missed the point? Surely all that matters is that the ass cannot distinguish the two options - not that they actually are identical in every detail? If the ass is short-sighted, that should be easy to set up.
Related Idea
The
28 ideas
with the same theme
[extent to which our reason can reveal truth]:
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21264
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Mortals are incapable of being fully rational
[Plato]
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19740
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A very hungry man cannot choose between equidistant piles of food
[Aristotle]
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1800
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Sceptics say reason is only an instrument, because reason can only be attacked with reason
[Pyrrho, by Diog. Laertius]
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1813
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All reasoning endlessly leads to further reasoning (Mode 12)
[Agrippa, by Diog. Laertius]
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1811
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Proofs often presuppose the thing to be proved (Mode 15)
[Agrippa, by Diog. Laertius]
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1812
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All discussion is full of uncertainty and contradiction (Mode 11)
[Agrippa, by Diog. Laertius]
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1815
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Reasoning needs arbitrary faith in preliminary hypotheses (Mode 14)
[Agrippa, by Diog. Laertius]
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23343
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Because reason performs all analysis, we should analyse reason - but how?
[Epictetus]
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22752
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Reasoning is impossible without a preconception
[Sext.Empiricus]
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1403
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A rational donkey would starve to death between two totally identical piles of hay
[Buridan, by PG]
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6675
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The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing
[Pascal]
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19433
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The universe is infinitely varied, so the Buridan's Ass dilemma could never happen
[Leibniz]
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22520
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You can't reason someone out of an irrational opinion
[Swift]
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19767
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Reason leads to prudent selfishness, which overrules natural compassion
[Rousseau]
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8099
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The truths of reason instruct, but they do not illuminate
[Joubert]
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8932
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Truth does not come from giving reasons for and against propositions
[Hegel]
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6558
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds
[Emerson]
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4523
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What can be 'demonstrated' is of little worth
[Nietzsche]
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8594
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People have had good reasons for thinking that the circle has been squared
[Shoemaker]
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3092
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If you believe that some of your beliefs are false, then at least one of your beliefs IS false
[Harman]
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7986
|
Drunken boat pilots are less likely to collide than clearly focused ones
[Baudrillard]
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8062
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Proof is a barren idea in philosophy, and the best philosophy never involves proof
[MacIntyre]
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3801
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Rationality requires the assumption that things are either for better or worse
[Dennett]
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1591
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Unfortunately for reason, argument can't be used to establish the value of argument
[Roochnik]
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1599
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Attempts to suspend all presuppositions are hopeless, because a common ground must be agreed for the process
[Roochnik]
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18781
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Inconsistency doesn't prevent us reasoning about some system
[Mares]
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6557
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Humans may never be able to attain a world view which is both rich and consistent
[Fogelin]
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6568
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A game can be played, despite having inconsistent rules
[Fogelin]
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