Ideas from 'The View from Nowhere' by Thomas Nagel [1986], by Theme Structure

[found in 'The View from Nowhere' by Nagel,Thomas [OUP 1989,0-19-505644-2]].

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1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 3. Wisdom Deflated

3240	There is more insight in fundamental perplexity about problems than in their supposed solutions

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 1. Philosophy

3242	Philosophy is the childhood of the intellect, and a culture can't skip it

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / b. Philosophy as transcendent

3241	It seems mad, but the aim of philosophy is to climb outside of our own minds

2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 5. Objectivity

20989

Views are objective if they don't rely on a person's character, social position or species

22354

Things cause perceptions, properties have other effects, hence we reach a 'view from nowhere' [Reiss/Sprenger]

3248	Realism invites scepticism because it claims to be objective

12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 2. Qualities in Perception / b. Primary/secondary

3249	Modern science depends on the distinction between primary and secondary qualities

22429

We achieve objectivity by dropping secondary qualities, to focus on structural primary qualities

13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 2. Pragmatic justification

3247	Epistemology is centrally about what we should believe, not the definition of knowledge

13. Knowledge Criteria / D. Scepticism / 6. Scepticism Critique

3252	Scepticism is based on ideas which scepticism makes impossible

14. Science / C. Induction / 4. Reason in Induction

3251	Observed regularities are only predictable if we assume hidden necessity

16. Persons / B. Nature of the Self / 4. Presupposition of Self

3244	Personal identity cannot be fully known a priori

3245	The question of whether a future experience will be mine presupposes personal identity

16. Persons / D. Continuity of the Self / 4. Split Consciousness

3246	I can't even conceive of my brain being split in two

22. Metaethics / B. Value / 1. Nature of Value / c. Objective value

3257	Total objectivity can't see value, but it sees many people with values

22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / e. Death

3265	We don't worry about the time before we were born the way we worry about death

22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / f. Altruism

3263	If our own life lacks meaning, devotion to others won't give it meaning

22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 1. Goodness / f. Good as pleasure

3256	Pain doesn't have a further property of badness; it gives a reason for its avoidance

23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 1. Deontology

3261	Something may be 'rational' either because it is required or because it is acceptable

23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 2. Duty

3258	If cockroaches can't think about their actions, they have no duties

23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 3. Universalisability

3264	We should see others' viewpoints, but not lose touch with our own values

3254	If we can decide how to live after stepping outside of ourselves, we have the basis of a moral theory

23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 6. Motivation for Duty

3255	We find new motives by discovering reasons for action different from our preexisting motives

23. Ethics / E. Utilitarianism / 3. Motivation for Altruism

3262	Utilitarianism is too demanding