Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'The Trouble with Being Born' and 'Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics'

unexpand these ideas     |    start again     |     choose another area for these texts

display all the ideas for this combination of texts

---

6 ideas

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

23064	So-called wisdom is just pondering things instead of acting [Cioran]
	Full Idea: What is known as 'wisdom' is ultimately only a perpetual 'thinking it over', i.e. non-action as first impulse.
	From: E.M. Cioran (The Trouble with Being Born [1973], 01)
	A reaction: This may be how most people view wisdom. Wisdom is for the spectators, not the actors (perhaps). Wisdom needs a lot of thought, and I don't associate it with extremely active people.

1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 1. Nature of Metaphysics

7920	Descriptive metaphysics aims at actual structure, revisionary metaphysics at a better structure [Strawson,P]
	Full Idea: Descriptive metaphysics (e.g. Aristotle and Kant) is content to describe the actual structure of our thought about the world; revisionary metaphysics (e.g. Descartes, Leibniz, Berkeley) is concerned to produce a better structure.
	From: Peter F. Strawson (Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics [1959], Intro)
	A reaction: This distinction by Strawson was incredibly helpful in reinstating metaphysics as a feasible activity. I don't want to abandon the revisionary version. We can hammer the current metaphysics into a more efficient shape, or even create new concepts.

1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 3. Metaphysical Systems

23072	Systems are the worst despotism, in philosophy and in life [Cioran]
	Full Idea: Aristotle, Aquinas, Hegel - three enslavers of the mind. The worst form of despotism is the system, in philosophy and in everything.
	From: E.M. Cioran (The Trouble with Being Born [1973], 07)
	A reaction: I'm not quite clear why intellectual 'despotism' is a dreadful crime. I revere Aristotle, partly because he is systematic, but I reject about 30% of what he says. Still, many people agree with this idea.

1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 6. Metaphysics as Conceptual

7922	Descriptive metaphysics concerns unchanging core concepts and categories [Strawson,P]
	Full Idea: Descriptive metaphysics is primarily concerned with categories and concepts which, in their fundamental character, change not at all. They are the commonplaces of the least refined thinking, and the indispensable core for the most sophisticated humans.
	From: Peter F. Strawson (Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics [1959], Intro)
	A reaction: This seems to be the basic premise for a modern metaphysician such as E.J.Lowe, though such thinkers are not averse to suggesting clarifications of our conceptual scheme. The aim must be good foundations for a successful edifice of knowledge.

1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 5. Linguistic Analysis

7921	Close examination of actual word usage is the only sure way in philosophy [Strawson,P]
	Full Idea: Up to a point, the reliance upon a close examination of the actual use of words is the best, and indeed the only sure, way in philosophy.
	From: Peter F. Strawson (Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics [1959], Intro)
	A reaction: Probably the last bold assertion of ordinary language philosophy, though Strawson goes on the defend his 'deeper' version of the activity, which he says is 'descriptive metaphysics', rather than mere 'analysis'. Mere verbal analysis now looks hopeless.

1. Philosophy / H. Continental Philosophy / 3. Hermeneutics

23075	A text explained ceases to be a text [Cioran]
	Full Idea: Why embroider upon what excludes commentary? A text explained is not longer a text.
	From: E.M. Cioran (The Trouble with Being Born [1973], 09)
	A reaction: I like that. I'm not a great fan of explicating texts, especially if they are literary, where the whole point is the primary experience, of a novel, poem or play. Philosophy is different, because that is a dialogue between writer and reader.