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Ideas for 'works', 'The Epistemology of Modality' and 'Phaedo'

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6 ideas

12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 1. Nature of the A Priori
11239 The notion of a priori truth is absent in Aristotle [Aristotle, by Politis]
     Full Idea: The notion of a priori truth is conspicuously absent in Aristotle.
     From: report of Aristotle (works [c.330 BCE]) by Vassilis Politis - Aristotle and the Metaphysics 1.5
     A reaction: Cf. Idea 11240.
12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 3. Innate Knowledge / b. Recollection doctrine
357 People are obviously recollecting when they react to a geometrical diagram [Plato]
     Full Idea: The way in which people react to a geometrical diagram or anything like that is unmistakable proof of the theory of recollection.
     From: Plato (Phaedo [c.382 BCE], 073a)
359 If we feel the inadequacy of a resemblance, we must recollect the original [Plato]
     Full Idea: If someone sees a resemblance, but feels that it falls far short of the original, they must therefore have a recollection of the original.
     From: Plato (Phaedo [c.382 BCE], 074e)
12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 6. A Priori from Reason
9343 To achieve pure knowledge, we must get rid of the body and contemplate things with the soul [Plato]
     Full Idea: We are convinced that if we are ever to have pure knowledge of anything, we must get rid of the body and contemplate things by themselves with the soul by itself.
     From: Plato (Phaedo [c.382 BCE], 066c)
     A reaction: This seems to be the original ideal which motivates the devotion to a priori knowledge - that it will lead to a 'pure' knowledge, which in Plato's case will be eternal and necessary knowledge, like taking lessons from the gods. Wrong.
12. Knowledge Sources / C. Rationalism / 1. Rationalism
23312 Aristotle is a rationalist, but reason is slowly acquired through perception and experience [Aristotle, by Frede,M]
     Full Idea: Aristotle is a rationalist …but reason for him is a disposition which we only acquire over time. Its acquisition is made possible primarily by perception and experience.
     From: report of Aristotle (works [c.330 BCE]) by Michael Frede - Aristotle's Rationalism p.173
     A reaction: I would describe this process as the gradual acquisition of the skill of objectivity, which needs the right knowledge and concepts to evaluate new experiences.
12. Knowledge Sources / E. Direct Knowledge / 2. Intuition
16111 Aristotle wants to fit common intuitions, and therefore uses language as a guide [Aristotle, by Gill,ML]
     Full Idea: Since Aristotle generally prefers a metaphysical theory that accords with common intuitions, he frequently relies on facts about language to guide his metaphysical claims.
     From: report of Aristotle (works [c.330 BCE]) by Mary Louise Gill - Aristotle on Substance Ch.5
     A reaction: I approve of his procedure. I take intuition to be largely rational justifications too complex for us to enunciate fully, and language embodies folk intuitions in its concepts (especially if the concepts occur in many languages).