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Single Idea 3242
[filed under theme 1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 1. Philosophy
]
Full Idea
Philosophy is the childhood of the intellect, and a culture that tries to skip it will never grow up.
Gist of Idea
Philosophy is the childhood of the intellect, and a culture can't skip it
Source
Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], Intro)
Book Ref
Nagel,Thomas: 'The View from Nowhere' [OUP 1989], p.12
A Reaction
Can he really mean that a mature culture doesn't need philosophy?
The
63 ideas
from Thomas Nagel
3268
|
If a small brief life is absurd, then so is a long and large one
[Nagel]
|
3269
|
If your life is to be meaningful as part of some large thing, the large thing must be meaningful
[Nagel]
|
3270
|
Justifications come to an end when we want them to
[Nagel]
|
4883
|
Nagel's title creates an impenetrable mystery, by ignoring a bat's ways that may not be "like" anything
[Dennett on Nagel]
|
4989
|
Physicalism should explain how subjective experience is possible, but not 'what it is like'
[Kirk,R on Nagel]
|
3286
|
An organism is conscious if and only if there is something it is like to be that organism
[Nagel]
|
3287
|
We can't be objective about experience
[Nagel]
|
3288
|
Can we describe our experiences to zombies?
[Nagel]
|
2957
|
Brain bisection suggests unity of mind isn't all-or-nothing
[Nagel, by Lockwood]
|
3285
|
We may be unable to abandon personal identity, even when split-brains have undermined it
[Nagel]
|
6479
|
Noninterference requires justification as much as interference does
[Nagel]
|
6446
|
In ethics we abstract from our identity, but not from our humanity
[Nagel]
|
6447
|
Game theory misses out the motivation arising from the impersonal standpoint
[Nagel]
|
6448
|
A legitimate system is one accepted as both impartial and reasonably partial
[Nagel]
|
6450
|
Morality must be motivating, and not because of pre-moral motives
[Nagel]
|
6477
|
I can only universalise a maxim if everyone else could also universalise it
[Nagel]
|
6478
|
Democracy is opposed to equality, if the poor are not a majority
[Nagel]
|
3273
|
Equality nowadays is seen as political, social, legal and economic
[Nagel]
|
3275
|
Equality was once opposed to aristocracy, but now it opposes public utility and individual rights
[Nagel]
|
3274
|
Equality can either be defended as good for society, or as good for individual rights
[Nagel]
|
3276
|
A morality of rights is very minimal, leaving a lot of human life without restrictions or duties
[Nagel]
|
3277
|
In judging disputes, should we use one standard, or those of each individual?
[Nagel]
|
3278
|
An egalitarian system must give priority to those with the worst prospects in life
[Nagel]
|
3281
|
The ideal of acceptability to each individual underlies the appeal to equality
[Nagel]
|
3282
|
The general form of moral reasoning is putting yourself in other people's shoes
[Nagel]
|
3284
|
There is no one theory of how to act (or what to believe)
[Nagel]
|
1490
|
You would have to be very morally lazy to ignore criticisms of your own culture
[Nagel]
|
3271
|
We can't control our own beliefs
[Nagel]
|
3272
|
Moral luck can arise in character, preconditions, actual circumstances, and outcome
[Nagel]
|
3290
|
Given the nature of heat and of water, it is literally impossible for water not to boil at the right heat
[Nagel]
|
3291
|
Emergent properties appear at high levels of complexity, but aren't explainable by the lower levels
[Nagel]
|
1489
|
Modern philosophy tends to be a theory-constructing extension of science, but there is also problem-solving
[Nagel]
|
4242
|
Pure supervenience explains nothing, and is a sign of something fundamental we don't know
[Nagel]
|
3292
|
The most difficult problem of free will is saying what the problem is
[Nagel]
|
3293
|
If you assert that we have an ego, you can still ask if that future ego will be me
[Nagel]
|
3294
|
As far as possible we should become instruments to realise what is best from an eternal point of view
[Nagel]
|
3295
|
Inner v outer brings astonishment that we are a particular person
[Nagel]
|
3296
|
Sense-data are a false objectification of what is essentially subjective
[Nagel]
|
3242
|
Philosophy is the childhood of the intellect, and a culture can't skip it
[Nagel]
|
3241
|
It seems mad, but the aim of philosophy is to climb outside of our own minds
[Nagel]
|
3240
|
There is more insight in fundamental perplexity about problems than in their supposed solutions
[Nagel]
|
22429
|
We achieve objectivity by dropping secondary qualities, to focus on structural primary qualities
[Nagel]
|
3244
|
Personal identity cannot be fully known a priori
[Nagel]
|
3245
|
The question of whether a future experience will be mine presupposes personal identity
[Nagel]
|
3246
|
I can't even conceive of my brain being split in two
[Nagel]
|
20989
|
Views are objective if they don't rely on a person's character, social position or species
[Nagel]
|
22354
|
Things cause perceptions, properties have other effects, hence we reach a 'view from nowhere'
[Nagel, by Reiss/Sprenger]
|
3248
|
Realism invites scepticism because it claims to be objective
[Nagel]
|
3247
|
Epistemology is centrally about what we should believe, not the definition of knowledge
[Nagel]
|
3249
|
Modern science depends on the distinction between primary and secondary qualities
[Nagel]
|
3251
|
Observed regularities are only predictable if we assume hidden necessity
[Nagel]
|
3252
|
Scepticism is based on ideas which scepticism makes impossible
[Nagel]
|
3255
|
We find new motives by discovering reasons for action different from our preexisting motives
[Nagel]
|
3254
|
If we can decide how to live after stepping outside of ourselves, we have the basis of a moral theory
[Nagel]
|
3257
|
Total objectivity can't see value, but it sees many people with values
[Nagel]
|
3256
|
Pain doesn't have a further property of badness; it gives a reason for its avoidance
[Nagel]
|
3258
|
If cockroaches can't think about their actions, they have no duties
[Nagel]
|
3261
|
Something may be 'rational' either because it is required or because it is acceptable
[Nagel]
|
3262
|
Utilitarianism is too demanding
[Nagel]
|
3264
|
We should see others' viewpoints, but not lose touch with our own values
[Nagel]
|
3263
|
If our own life lacks meaning, devotion to others won't give it meaning
[Nagel]
|
3265
|
We don't worry about the time before we were born the way we worry about death
[Nagel]
|
4001
|
The meaning of a word contains all its possible uses as well as its actual ones
[Nagel]
|