Combining Texts
Ideas for
'Metaphysics', 'Explanation - Opening Address' and 'Letter to Pythocles'
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19 ideas
14. Science / A. Basis of Science / 2. Demonstration
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12309
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There cannot be a science of accidentals, but only of general truths [Aristotle]
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11386
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Demonstrations about particulars must be about everything of that type [Aristotle]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 1. Explanation / a. Explanation
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11385
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Universal principles are not primary beings, but particular principles are not universally knowable [Aristotle]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 1. Explanation / b. Aims of explanation
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11289
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Understanding moves from the less to the more intelligible [Aristotle]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 1. Explanation / c. Direction of explanation
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17077
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The height of a flagpole could be fixed by its angle of shadow, but that would be very unusual [Smart]
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17078
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Universe expansion explains the red shift, but not vice versa [Smart]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / a. Types of explanation
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11246
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Aristotelian explanations mainly divide things into natural kinds [Aristotle, by Politis]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / c. Explanations by coherence
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17061
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Explanation of a fact is fitting it into a system of beliefs [Smart]
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17074
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Explanations are bad by fitting badly with a web of beliefs, or fitting well into a bad web [Smart]
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17076
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Deducing from laws is one possible way to achieve a coherent explanation [Smart]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / d. Consilience
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17071
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An explanation is better if it also explains phenomena from a different field [Smart]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / g. Causal explanations
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17062
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If scientific explanation is causal, that rules out mathematical explanation [Smart]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / j. Explanations by reduction
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17075
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Scientific explanation tends to reduce things to the unfamiliar (not the familiar) [Smart]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / k. Explanations by essence
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11384
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We know something when we fully know what it is, not just its quality, quantity or location [Aristotle]
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16135
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Real enquiries seek causes, and causes are essences [Aristotle]
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16105
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We know a thing when we grasp its essence [Aristotle]
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11296
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The explanation is what gives matter its state, which is the form, which is the substance [Aristotle]
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11999
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Essential properties explain in conjunction with properties shared by the same kind [Aristotle, by Kung]
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14. Science / D. Explanation / 3. Best Explanation / c. Against best explanation
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21386
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We should accept as explanations all the plausible ways in which something could come about [Epicurus]
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