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Single Idea 22646

[filed under theme 14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / j. Explanations by reduction ]

Full Idea

Alongside the passion for simplification …is the passion for distinguishing; it is the passion to be acquainted with the parts rather than to comprehend the whole.

Gist of Idea

We have a passion for knowing the parts of something, rather than the whole

Source

William James (The Sentiment of Rationality [1882], p.22)

Book Ref

James,William: 'Selected Writings of William James', ed/tr. Bird,Graham [Everyman 1995], p.22

A Reaction

As I child I dismantled almost every toy I was given. This seems to be the motivation for a lot of analytic philosophy, but Aristotle also tended to think that way.

Related Ideas

Idea 22644 Our greatest pleasure is the economy of reducing chaotic facts to one single fact [James]

Idea 14165 Analysis falsifies, if when the parts are broken down they are not equivalent to their sum [Russell]

The 18 ideas from 'The Sentiment of Rationality'

22643 It seems that we feel rational when we detect no irrationality [James]
22645 Understanding by means of causes is useless if they are not reduced to a minimum number [James]
22644 Our greatest pleasure is the economy of reducing chaotic facts to one single fact [James]
22646 We have a passion for knowing the parts of something, rather than the whole [James]
22647 A complete system is just a classification of the whole world's ingredients [James]
22648 A single explanation must have a single point of view [James]
22649 Classification can only ever be for a particular purpose [James]
22650 How can the ground of rationality be itself rational? [James]
22651 Dogs' curiosity only concerns what will happen next [James]
22652 The mind has evolved entirely for practical interests, seen in our reflex actions [James]
22653 Early Christianity says God recognises the neglected weak and tender impulses [James]
22654 We can't know if the laws of nature are stable, but we must postulate it or assume it [James]
22656 Trying to assess probabilities by mere calculation is absurd and impossible [James]
22655 Scientific genius extracts more than other people from the same evidence [James]
22657 All good philosophers start from a dumb conviction about which truths can be revealed [James]
22658 Experimenters assume the theory is true, and stick to it as long as result don't disappoint [James]
22659 It is wisdom to believe what you desire, because belief is needed to achieve it [James]
22660 Evolution suggests prevailing or survival as a new criterion of right and wrong [James]