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Ideas for 'works', 'Every Thing Must Go' and 'Presupposition and Conversational Implicature'

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6 ideas

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 / B. Natural Kinds / 3. Knowing Kinds

14956	Explanation by kinds and by clusters of properties just express the stability of reality [Ladyman/Ross]
	Full Idea: Philosophers sometimes invoke natural kinds as if they explain the possibility of explanation. This is characteristically neo-scholastic. That anything can be explained, and that properties cluster together, express one fact: reality is relatively stable.
	From: J Ladyman / D Ross (Every Thing Must Go [2007], 5.6)
	A reaction: Odd idea. I would have thought that if there are indeed kinds and clusters, this would explain a great deal more than mere stability. Or, more accurately, they would invite a more substantial explanation than mere stability would seem to need.

26. Natural Theory / B. Natural Kinds / 4. Source of Kinds

14957	There is nothing more to a natural kind than a real pattern in nature [Ladyman/Ross]
	Full Idea: Everything that a naturalist could legitimately want from the concept of a natural kind can be had simply by reference to real patterns.
	From: J Ladyman / D Ross (Every Thing Must Go [2007], 5.6)
	A reaction: I think I agree with this, and with the general idea that natural kinds are overrated. There are varying degrees of stability in nature, and where there is a lot of stability our inductive reasoning can get to work. And that's it.

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 7. Eliminating causation

14954	Causation is found in the special sciences, but may have no role in fundamental physics [Ladyman/Ross]
	Full Idea: The idea of causation, as it is used in science, finds its exemplars in the special sciences, and it is presently open empirical question whether that notion will have any ultimate role to play in fundamental physics.
	From: J Ladyman / D Ross (Every Thing Must Go [2007], 4.5)
	A reaction: Note that they seem to always have a notion of 'ultimate' physics hovering over their account. I wonder. There is nothing in this idea to make me think that I should eliminate the idea of causation from my metaphysics.

26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 1. Laws of Nature

14902	Science may have uninstantiated laws, inferred from approaching some unrealised limit [Ladyman/Ross]
	Full Idea: It is possible that uninstantiated laws can be established in science, and consequently bear explanatory weight, ..if we need reasons for thinking that the closer conditions get to some limit, the more they approximate to some ideal.
	From: J Ladyman / D Ross (Every Thing Must Go [2007], 1.2.3)
	A reaction: [The cite Hüttemann 2004] I am dubious about laws, but I take this to be a point in favour of inference to the best explanation, and against accounts of laws as supervenient of how things actually are.