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Single Idea 19740
[filed under theme 2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 9. Limits of Reason
]
Full Idea
The man who, though exceedingly hungry and thirsty, and both equally, yet being equidistant from food and drink, is therefore bound to stay where he is.
Gist of Idea
A very hungry man cannot choose between equidistant piles of food
Source
Aristotle (On the Heavens [c.336 BCE], 296b33)
Book Ref
Aristotle: 'The Basic Works of Aristotle', ed/tr. McKeon,Richard [Modern Library Classics 2001], p.433
A Reaction
This is, of course, Buridan's famous Ass, but this quotation has the advantage of precedence, and also of being expressed in an original quotation (which does not exist for Buridan).
Related Ideas
Idea 1403
A rational donkey would starve to death between two totally identical piles of hay [Buridan, by PG]
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
|
Sceptics say reason is only an instrument, because reason can only be attacked with reason
[Pyrrho, by Diog. Laertius]
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1813
|
All reasoning endlessly leads to further reasoning (Mode 12)
[Agrippa, by Diog. Laertius]
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1811
|
Proofs often presuppose the thing to be proved (Mode 15)
[Agrippa, by Diog. Laertius]
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1812
|
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
|
Because reason performs all analysis, we should analyse reason - but how?
[Epictetus]
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22752
|
Reasoning is impossible without a preconception
[Sext.Empiricus]
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1403
|
A rational donkey would starve to death between two totally identical piles of hay
[Buridan, by PG]
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6675
|
The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing
[Pascal]
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19433
|
The universe is infinitely varied, so the Buridan's Ass dilemma could never happen
[Leibniz]
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22520
|
You can't reason someone out of an irrational opinion
[Swift]
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19767
|
Reason leads to prudent selfishness, which overrules natural compassion
[Rousseau]
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8099
|
The truths of reason instruct, but they do not illuminate
[Joubert]
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8932
|
Truth does not come from giving reasons for and against propositions
[Hegel]
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|
6558
|
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds
[Emerson]
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4523
|
What can be 'demonstrated' is of little worth
[Nietzsche]
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8594
|
People have had good reasons for thinking that the circle has been squared
[Shoemaker]
|
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3092
|
If you believe that some of your beliefs are false, then at least one of your beliefs IS false
[Harman]
|
|
7986
|
Drunken boat pilots are less likely to collide than clearly focused ones
[Baudrillard]
|
|
8062
|
Proof is a barren idea in philosophy, and the best philosophy never involves proof
[MacIntyre]
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|
3801
|
Rationality requires the assumption that things are either for better or worse
[Dennett]
|
|
1591
|
Unfortunately for reason, argument can't be used to establish the value of argument
[Roochnik]
|
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1599
|
Attempts to suspend all presuppositions are hopeless, because a common ground must be agreed for the process
[Roochnik]
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18781
|
Inconsistency doesn't prevent us reasoning about some system
[Mares]
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6557
|
Humans may never be able to attain a world view which is both rich and consistent
[Fogelin]
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|
6568
|
A game can be played, despite having inconsistent rules
[Fogelin]
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