Ideas from 'After Finitude; the necessity of contingency' by Quentin Meillassoux [2006], by Theme Structure
[found in 'After Finitude: the necessity of contingency' by Meillassoux (ed/tr Brassier,R) [Bloomsbury 2008,978-1-4411-7383-6]].
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1. Philosophy / B. History of Ideas / 5. Later European Thought
19648
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Since Kant we think we can only access 'correlations' between thinking and being
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19674
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The Copernican Revolution decentres the Earth, but also decentres thinking from reality
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1. Philosophy / B. History of Ideas / 6. Twentieth Century Thought
19657
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In Kant the thing-in-itself is unknowable, but for us it has become unthinkable
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1. Philosophy / G. Scientific Philosophy / 3. Scientism
19675
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Since Kant, philosophers have claimed to understand science better than scientists do
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2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 5. Objectivity
19649
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Since Kant, objectivity is defined not by the object, but by the statement's potential universality
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2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 2. Sufficient Reason
19666
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If we insist on Sufficient Reason the world will always be a mystery to us
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2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 3. Non-Contradiction
19656
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Non-contradiction is unjustified, so it only reveals a fact about thinking, not about reality?
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4. Formal Logic / E. Nonclassical Logics / 7. Paraconsistency
19664
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Paraconsistent logics are to prevent computers crashing when data conflicts
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19663
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We can allow contradictions in thought, but not inconsistency
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19665
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Paraconsistent logic is about statements, not about contradictions in reality
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6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 4. Using Numbers / g. Applying mathematics
19677
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What is mathematically conceivable is absolutely possible
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7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 1. Nature of Existence
19659
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The absolute is the impossibility of there being a necessary existent
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7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 5. Reason for Existence
19662
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It is necessarily contingent that there is one thing rather than another - so something must exist
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7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 6. Criterion for Existence
19654
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We must give up the modern criterion of existence, which is a correlation between thought and being
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10. Modality / B. Possibility / 5. Contingency
19660
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Possible non-being which must be realised is 'precariousness'; absolute contingency might never not-be
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10. Modality / B. Possibility / 7. Chance
19671
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The idea of chance relies on unalterable physical laws
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11. Knowledge Aims / C. Knowing Reality / 3. Idealism / b. Transcendental idealism
19651
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Unlike speculative idealism, transcendental idealism assumes the mind is embodied
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12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 2. Qualities in Perception / c. Primary qualities
19647
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The aspects of objects that can be mathematical allow it to have objective properties
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14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 1. Scientific Theory
19652
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How can we mathematically describe a world that lacks humans?
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14. Science / C. Induction / 3. Limits of Induction
19668
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Hume's question is whether experimental science will still be valid tomorrow
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16. Persons / B. Nature of the Self / 4. Presupposition of Self
19650
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The transcendental subject is not an entity, but a set of conditions making science possible
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26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / b. Scientific necessity
19667
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If the laws of nature are contingent, shouldn't we already have noticed it?
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19670
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Why are contingent laws of nature stable?
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28. God / B. Proving God / 2. Proofs of Reason / a. Ontological Proof
19653
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The ontological proof of a necessary God ensures a reality external to the mind
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28. God / C. Attitudes to God / 5. Atheism
19658
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Now that the absolute is unthinkable, even atheism is just another religious belief (though nihilist)
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