Combining Texts

Ideas for 'works', 'The Dappled World' and 'The View from Nowhere'

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4 ideas

1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 1. Nature of Wisdom

19693	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 / A. Wisdom / 3. Wisdom Deflated

3240	There is more insight in fundamental perplexity about problems than in their supposed solutions [Nagel]
	Full Idea: Certain forms of perplexity (say about freedom, knowledge and the meaning of life) seem to me to embody more insight than any of the supposed solutions to those problems.
	From: Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], Intro)
	A reaction: Obviously false solutions won't embody much insight. This sounds good, but I suspect that the insight is in the recognition of the facts which give rise to the perplexity. I can't think of anything in favour of perplexity for its own sake.

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

3242	Philosophy is the childhood of the intellect, and a culture can't skip it [Nagel]
	Full Idea: Philosophy is the childhood of the intellect, and a culture that tries to skip it will never grow up.
	From: Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], Intro)
	A reaction: Can he really mean that a mature culture doesn't need philosophy?

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 [Nagel]
	Full Idea: We are trying to climb outside of our own minds, an effort that some would regard as insane and that I regard as philosophically fundamental.
	From: Thomas Nagel (The View from Nowhere [1986], Intro)
	A reaction: It is not only philosophers who do this. It is an essential feature of the mind, and is inherent in the concept of truth.