Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Brainstorms:Essays on Mind and Psychology', 'Summa' and 'The Ethics'

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2 ideas

15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 1. Consciousness / d. Purpose of consciousness

17212	To understand is the absolute virtue of the mind [Spinoza]
	Full Idea: To understand is the absolute virtue of the mind.
	From: Baruch de Spinoza (The Ethics [1675], IV Pr 28)
	A reaction: A possible epigraph for this website. Perhaps it should be required by law that this be printed on the frontispiece of every philosophy book ever published.

15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 4. Intentionality / b. Intentionality theories

3158	Theories of intentionality presuppose rationality, so can't explain it [Dennett]
	Full Idea: Intentional theory is vacuous as psychology because it presupposes and does not explain rationality or intelligence.
	From: Daniel C. Dennett (Brainstorms:Essays on Mind and Psychology [1978], p.15?)
	A reaction: Virtually every philosophical theory seems to founder because it presupposes something like the thing it is meant to explain. I agree that 'intentionality' is a slightly airy concept that would probably reduce to something better.