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Full Idea
People believe that every philosopher has a system that contradicts all the others! But there is a tradition, genuinely philosophical, that is as old as humanity itself. …Plato is the most perfect representative of this tradition.
Gist of Idea
Systems are not unique to each philosopher. The platonist tradition is old and continuous
Source
Simone Weil (Reflections on Value [1941], p.33)
Book Ref
Weil,Simone: 'Late Philosophical Writings' [Notre Dame 2015], p.33
A Reaction
I see roughly two traditions. If you believe in transcendence you follow Plato, like Simone. If you are a naturalist (like me) you follow Aristotle. A third tradition might be much more sceptical.
| 23881 | All thought about values is philosophical, and thought about anything else is not philosophy [Weil] |
| 23883 | Minds essentially and always strive towards value [Weil] |
| 23882 | Ends, unlike means, cannot be defined, which is why people tend to pursue means [Weil] |
| 23884 | Truth is a value of thought [Weil] |
| 23885 | Philosophy aims to change the soul, not to accumulate knowledge [Weil] |
| 23886 | Systems are not unique to each philosopher. The platonist tradition is old and continuous [Weil] |