Combining Texts

Ideas for 'works', 'Causation and Laws of Nature' and 'Preface to Universal Characteristic'

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3 ideas

1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 1. Nature of Wisdom
There is practical wisdom (for action), and theoretical wisdom (for deep understanding) [Aristotle, by Whitcomb]
     Full Idea: Aristotle takes wisdom to come in two forms, the practical and the theoretical, the former of which is good judgement about how to act, and the latter of which is deep knowledge or understanding.
     From: report of Aristotle (works [c.330 BCE]) by Dennis Whitcomb - Wisdom Intro
     A reaction: The interesting question is then whether the two are connected. One might be thoroughly 'sensible' about action, without counting as 'wise', which seems to require a broader view of what is being done. Whitcomb endorses Aristotle on this idea.
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 2. Invocation to Philosophy
All other human gifts can harm us, but not correct reasoning [Leibniz]
     Full Idea: Although people can be made worse off by all other gifts, correct reasoning alone can only be for the good.
     From: Gottfried Leibniz (Preface to Universal Characteristic [1679])
     A reaction: How about a kind heart? Not everyone would agree with the remark, but philosophers should.
1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 3. Analysis of Preconditions
Analysis aims at secure necessary and sufficient conditions [Schaffer,J]
     Full Idea: An analysis is an attempt at providing finite, non-circular, and intuitively adequate necessary and sufficient conditions.
     From: Jonathan Schaffer (Causation and Laws of Nature [2008], 3)
     A reaction: Specifying the 'conditions' for something doesn't seem to quite add up to telling you what the thing is. A trivial side-effect might qualify as a sufficient condition for something, if it always happens.