| 1988 | The Rationalists |
| p.75 | p.75 | 4303 | The notion of substance lies at the heart of rationalist metaphysics |
| Full Idea: The notion of substance lies at the heart of rationalist metaphysics. | |||
| From: John Cottingham (The Rationalists [1988], p.75) | |||
| A reaction: The idea of 'substance' has had an interesting revival in modern philosophy (though not, obviously, in physics). Maybe physics and philosophy have views of reality which are not complementary, but are rivals. |
| p.76 | p.76 | 4304 | Descartes says there are two substance, Spinoza one, and Leibniz infinitely many |
| Full Idea: Descartes was a dualist about substance, Spinoza was a monist, and Leibniz was a pluralist (an infinity of substances). | |||
| From: John Cottingham (The Rationalists [1988], p.76) | |||
| A reaction: Spinoza is appealing. We posit a substance, as the necessary basis for existence, but it is unclear how more than one substance can be differentiated. If mind is a separate substance, why isn't iron? Why aren't numbers? |
| p.92 | p.92 | 4306 | For rationalists, it is necessary that effects be deducible from their causes |
| Full Idea: The rationalist view of causation takes it that to make effects intelligible, it must be shown that they are in principle deducible from their causes. | |||
| From: John Cottingham (The Rationalists [1988], p.92) | |||
| A reaction: This has intuitive appeal, but deduction is only possible with further premises, such as the laws of physics. The effects of human behaviour look a bit tricky, even if we cause them. |
| 2000 | Reason, Emotions and Good Life |
| p. | 4316 | Either all action is rational, or reason dominates, or reason is only concerned with means | |
| Full Idea: We can distinguish rational exclusivism (all activity is guided by reason - Plato and Spinoza), rational hegemonism (all action is dominated by reason), and rational instrumentalism (reason assesses means rather than ends - Hume). | |||
| From: John Cottingham (Reason, Emotions and Good Life [2000]) | |||
| A reaction: The idea that reason is the only cause of actions seems deeply implausible, but I strongly resist Hume's instrumental approach. Action without desire is not a contradiction. |