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Ideas for 'works', 'works' and 'Letters to Burcher De Volder'

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5 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 / A. Speculations on Nature / 7. Later Matter Theories / c. Matter as extension

13185	Even if extension is impenetrable, this still offers no explanation for motion and its laws [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: Even if we grant impenetrability is added to extension, nothing complete is brought about, nothing from which a reason for motion, and especially the laws of motion, can be given.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Burcher De Volder [1706], 1704 or 1705)
	A reaction: When it comes to the reasons for the so-called 'laws of nature', scientists give up, because they've only got mathematical descriptions, whereas the philosopher won't give up (even though, embarassingly, the evidence is running a bit thin).

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

13177	An entelechy is a law of the series of its event within some entity [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: I recognize a primitive entelechy in the active force found in motion, something analogous to the soul, whose nature consists in a certain law of the same series of changes.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Burcher De Volder [1706], 1699.03.24)
	A reaction: This is his 'law-of-the-series', which is a speculative attempt to pin down the character of the active essence of things which gives rise to activity. The law of such activity is within the things themselves, as scientific essentialists claim.

26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 8. Scientific Essentialism / c. Essence and laws

13093	The only permanence in things, constituting their substance, is a law of continuity [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: Nothing is permanent in things except the law itself, which involves a continuous succession ...The fact that a certain law persists ...is the very fact that constitutes the same substance.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Burcher De Volder [1706], 1704)
	A reaction: Aristotle and Leibniz are the very clear ancestors of modern scientific essentialism. I've left out a few inconvenient bits, about containing 'the whole universe', and containing all 'future states'. For Leibniz, laws are entirely rooted in things.