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Ideas for 'Parmenides', 'Against 'Ostrich Nominalism'' and 'The Metaphysics within Physics'

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5 ideas

2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 1. On Reason
224 When questions are doubtful we should concentrate not on objects but on ideas of the intellect [Plato]
     Full Idea: Doubtful questions should not be discussed in terms of visible objects or in relation to them, but only with reference to ideas conceived by the intellect.
     From: Plato (Parmenides [c.364 BCE], 135e)
2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 5. Opposites
232 Opposites are as unlike as possible [Plato]
     Full Idea: Opposites are as unlike as possible.
     From: Plato (Parmenides [c.364 BCE], 159a)
2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 6. Ockham's Razor
16244 If the universe is profligate, the Razor leads us astray [Maudlin]
     Full Idea: If the universe has been profligate, then Ockham's Razor will lead us astray.
     From: Tim Maudlin (The Metaphysics within Physics [2007], Intro)
     A reaction: That is, there may be a vast number of entities which exist beyond what seems to be 'necessary'.
16255 The Razor rightly prefers one cause of multiple events to coincidences of causes [Maudlin]
     Full Idea: The Razor is good when it councils higher credence to explanations which posit a single cause to multiple events that occur in a striking pattern, over explanations involving coincidental multiple causes.
     From: Tim Maudlin (The Metaphysics within Physics [2007], 2.5)
     A reaction: This is in the context of Maudlin warning against embracing the Razor too strongly. Presumably inductive success suggests that the world supports this particular use of the Razor.
2. Reason / C. Styles of Reason / 1. Dialectic
8937 Plato's 'Parmenides' is the greatest artistic achievement of the ancient dialectic [Hegel on Plato]
     Full Idea: Plato's 'Parmenides' is the greatest artistic achievement of the ancient dialectic.
     From: comment on Plato (Parmenides [c.364 BCE]) by Georg W.F.Hegel - Phenomenology of Spirit Pref 71
     A reaction: It is a long way from the analytic tradition of philosophy to be singling out a classic text for its 'artistic' achievement. Eventually we may even look back on, say, Kripke's 'Naming and Necessity' and see it in that light.