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Ideas for 'works', 'Parerga and Paralipomena' and 'The Logic of What Might Have Been'

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3 ideas

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / e. Human nature
Aristotle never actually says that man is a rational animal [Aristotle, by Fogelin]
     Full Idea: To the best of my knowledge (and somewhat to my surprise), Aristotle never actually says that man is a rational animal; however, he all but says it.
     From: report of Aristotle (works [c.330 BCE]) by Robert Fogelin - Walking the Tightrope of Reason Ch.1
     A reaction: When I read this I thought that this database would prove Fogelin wrong, but it actually supports him, as I can't find it in Aristotle either. Descartes refers to it in Med.Two. In Idea 5133 Aristotle does say that man is a 'social being'. But 22586!
Man is essentially a dreadful wild animal [Schopenhauer]
     Full Idea: Man is at bottom a dreadful wild animal.
     From: Arthur Schopenhauer (Parerga and Paralipomena [1851], VIII:114)
     A reaction: As an example he cites the slave owners in the United States.
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 3. Pleasure / c. Value of pleasure
Pleasure is weaker, and pain stronger, than we expect [Schopenhauer]
     Full Idea: As a rule we find pleasure much less pleasurable, pain much more painful than we expected.
     From: Arthur Schopenhauer (Parerga and Paralipomena [1851], XII:149)
     A reaction: Never go on holiday with Schopenhauer. This is more accurate about pain, I think.