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Ideas for 'works', 'Logic (Encyclopedia I)' and 'Grounding, Transitivity and Contrastivity'

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5 ideas

26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 1. Nature

17305	I take what is fundamental to be the whole spatiotemporal manifold and its fields [Schaffer,J]
	Full Idea: I myself would prefer to speak of what is fundamental in terms of the whole spatiotemporal manifold and the fields that permeate it, with parts counting as derivative of the whole.
	From: Jonathan Schaffer (Grounding, Transitivity and Contrastivity [2012], 4.1.1)
	A reaction: Not quite the Parmenidean One, since it has parts, but a nice try at updating the great man. Note the reference to 'fields', suggesting that this view is grounded in the physics rather than metaphysics. How many fields has it got?

26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 5. Infinite in Nature

8660	There are potential infinities (never running out), but actual infinity is incoherent [Aristotle, by Friend]
	Full Idea: Aristotle developed his own distinction between potential infinity (never running out) and actual infinity (there being a collection of an actual infinite number of things, such as places, times, objects). He decided that actual infinity was incoherent.
	From: report of Aristotle (works [c.330 BCE]) by Michèle Friend - Introducing the Philosophy of Mathematics 1.3
	A reaction: Friend argues, plausibly, that this won't do, since potential infinity doesn't make much sense if there is not an actual infinity of things to supply the demand. It seems to just illustrate how boggling and uncongenial infinity was to Aristotle.

26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 6. Early Matter Theories / a. Greek matter

12058	Aristotle's matter can become any other kind of matter [Aristotle, by Wiggins]
	Full Idea: Aristotle's conception of matter permits any kind of matter to become any other kind of matter.
	From: report of Aristotle (works [c.330 BCE]) by David Wiggins - Substance 4.11.2
	A reaction: This is obviously crucial background information when we read Aristotle on matter. Our 92+ elements, and fixed fundamental particles, gives a quite different picture. Aristotle would discuss form and matter quite differently now.

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 1. Causation

15614	Old metaphysics tried to grasp eternal truths through causal events, which is impossible [Hegel]
	Full Idea: When finite things are grasped according to the determinations of cause and effect they are known in their finitude. But objects of reason cannot be determined through such finite predicates, and the attempt to do this was the defect of older metaphysics.
	From: Georg W.F.Hegel (Logic (Encyclopedia I) [1817], §28 Add)
	A reaction: This sounds the launching point for a grand philosophical system which makes scientifically inclined philosophers feel very nervous indeed. I think I prefer the old (pre-Kantian) metaphysics.

17307	Nowadays causation is usually understood in terms of equations and variable ranges [Schaffer,J]
	Full Idea: The leading treatments of causation work within 'structural equation models', with events represented via variables each of which is allotted a range of permitted values, which constitute a 'contrast space'.
	From: Jonathan Schaffer (Grounding, Transitivity and Contrastivity [2012], 4.3.1)
	A reaction: Like Woodward's idea that causation is a graph, this seems to be a matter of plotting or formalising correlations between activities, which is a very Humean approach to causation.