Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Reply to Foucher', 'The Will to Power (notebooks)' and 'True in Theory, but not in Practice'

unexpand these ideas     |    start again     |     choose another area for these texts

display all the ideas for this combination of texts

---

2 ideas

6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 4. Using Numbers / a. Units

20361	We need 'unities' for reckoning, but that does not mean they exist [Nietzsche]
	Full Idea: We need 'unities' in order to be able to reckon: that does not mean we must suppose that such unities exist.
	From: Friedrich Nietzsche (The Will to Power (notebooks) [1888], §635)
	A reaction: True. I takes this thought to be important in the Psychology of Metaphysics (an unfashionable branch).

6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 5. The Infinite / d. Actual infinite

19406	I strongly believe in the actual infinite, which indicates the perfections of its author [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: I am so much for the actual infinite that instead of admitting that nature abhors it, as is commonly said, I hold that it affects nature everywhere in order to indicate the perfections of its author.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Reply to Foucher [1693], p.99)
	A reaction: I would have thought that, for Leibniz, while infinities indicate the perfections of their author, that is not the reason why they exist. God wasn't, presumably, showing off. Leibniz does not think we can actually know these infinities.