display all the ideas for this combination of texts
2 ideas
5969 | Chrysippus said the uncaused is non-existent [Chrysippus, by Plutarch] |
Full Idea: Chrysippus said that the uncaused is altogether non-existent. | |
From: report of Chrysippus (fragments/reports [c.240 BCE]) by Plutarch - 70: Stoic Self-contradictions 1045c | |
A reaction: The difficulty is to see what empirical basis there can be for such a claim, or what argument of any kind other than an intuition. Induction is the obvious answer, but Hume teaches us scepticism about any claim that 'there can be no exceptions'. |
21267 | Supposing many principles is superfluous if a few will do it [Aquinas] |
Full Idea: It is superfluous to suppose that what can be accounted for by a few principles has been produced by many. | |
From: Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologicae [1265], Ia,Q02,Art3,Ob2) | |
A reaction: Notice that this is 'superfluous' rather than 'wrong'. But ten people can lift a piano which could have been lifted by eight. Note that this is 150 years before Ockham. |