Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Sententia on 'De Caelo'', 'Problems in the Explanation of Action' and 'How Things Persist'

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

display all the ideas for this combination of texts

---

2 ideas

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / a. Philosophy as worldly

22101	Philosophy aims to know the truth about the way things are [Aquinas]
	Full Idea: The study of philosophy has as its purpose to know not what people have thought, but rather the truth about the way things are.
	From: Thomas Aquinas (Sententia on 'De Caelo' [1268], I.22.228), quoted by Kretzmann/Stump - Aquinas, Thomas 05
	A reaction: I agree with this deeply unfashionable opinion. Of course, modern investigations must be more sensitive to biases built into language, culture and conceptual schemes. But I am one of those sad old folks who still think truths can be stated.

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 7. Despair over Philosophy

16227	Philosophers are good at denying the obvious [Hawley]
	Full Idea: Philosophers are skilled at resisting even the most inviting thoughts.
	From: Katherine Hawley (How Things Persist [2001], 5)
	A reaction: Not exactly 'despair', but it does show how far philosophers are able to stray from common sense. Monads, real possible worlds, real sets… Thomas Reid, the philosopher of common sense, might be the antidote.