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Ideas for 'works', 'Truthmakers and Converse Barcan Formula' and 'Writing the Book of the World'

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3 ideas

14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 1. Scientific Theory
Plato says sciences are unified around Forms; Aristotle says they're unified around substance [Aristotle, by Moravcsik]
     Full Idea: Plato's unity of science principle states that all - legitimate - sciences are ultimately about the Forms. Aristotle's principle states that all sciences must be, ultimately, about substances, or aspects of substances.
     From: report of Aristotle (works [c.330 BCE], 1) by Julius Moravcsik - Aristotle on Adequate Explanations 1
14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 2. Aim of Science
A theory which doesn't fit nature is unexplanatory, even if it is true [Sider]
     Full Idea: 'Theories' based on bizarre, non-joint-carving classifications are unexplanatory even when true.
     From: Theodore Sider (Writing the Book of the World [2011], 03.1)
     A reaction: This nicely pinpoints why I take explanation to be central to whole metaphysical enterprise.
14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 8. Ramsey Sentences
If I used Ramsey sentences to eliminate fundamentality from my theory, that would be a real loss [Sider]
     Full Idea: If the entire theory of this book were replaced by its Ramsey sentence, omitting all mention of fundamentality, something would seem to be lost.
     From: Theodore Sider (Writing the Book of the World [2011], 02.2 n2)
     A reaction: It is a moot point whether Ramsey sentences actually eliminate anything from the ontology, but trying to wriggle out of ontological commitment looks a rather sad route to follow.