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Ideas for 'Topics', 'Jerry A. Fodor on himself' and 'Mind and Body'

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2 ideas

26. Natural Theory / B. Natural Kinds / 2. Defining Kinds
All water is the same, because of a certain similarity [Aristotle]
     Full Idea: Any water is said to be specifically the same as any other water because it has a certain similarity to it.
     From: Aristotle (Topics [c.331 BCE], 103a20)
     A reaction: (Cf. Idea 8153) It take this to be the hallmark of a natural kind, and we should not lose sight of it in the midst of discussions about rigid designation and essential identity. Tigers are only a natural kind insofar as they are indistinguishable.
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 9. Counterfactual Claims
Laws are true generalisations which support counterfactuals and are confirmed by instances [Fodor]
     Full Idea: Laws are true generalisations that support counterfactuals and are confirmed by their instances.
     From: Jerry A. Fodor (Jerry A. Fodor on himself [1994], p.293)
     A reaction: This seems correct, but it doesn't disentangle laws as mental states from laws as features of nature