Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Clitophon', 'Letters to Remond de Montmort' and 'Conversations, with Glyn Daly'

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2 ideas

15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 1. Consciousness / c. Parts of consciousness

19438	Our large perceptions and appetites are made up tiny unconscious fragments [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: Our great perceptions and our great appetites of which we are conscious, are composed of innumerable little perceptions and little inclinations of which we cannot be conscious.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Remond de Montmort [1715], 1715 §2)
	A reaction: I think this is a wonderfully accurate report of how the mind is, in comparison with the much more simplistic views presented by most philosophers of that era. And so much understanding flows from Leibniz's account.

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

9780	Consciousness is a malfunction of evolution [Zizek]
	Full Idea: Consciousness is a kind of mistake, a malfunction of evolution, and out of this mistake a miracle occurred.
	From: Slavoj Zizek (Conversations, with Glyn Daly [2004], §2)
	A reaction: Rather hard to prove, but actually quite an uplifting thought. If consciousness only evolved so that we could navigate and defend ourselves, our 'higher' activities seem irrelevant. But Zizek's view means we can make them central. Nice.