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Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'A Priori Knowledge Revisited' and 'Necessity and Non-Existence'

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6 ideas

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 2. Types of Existence

15078	There are levels of existence, as well as reality; objects exist at the lowest level in which they can function [Fine,K]
	Full Idea: Just as we recognise different levels of reality, so we should recognise different levels of existence. Each object will exist at the lowest level at which it can enjoy its characteristic form of life.
	From: Kit Fine (Necessity and Non-Existence [2005], 10)
	A reaction: I'm struggling with this claim, despite my sympathy for much of Fine's picture. I'm not sure that the so-called 'levels' of reality have different degrees of reality.

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 6. Criterion for Existence

5992	Chrysippus says action is the criterion for existence, which must be physical [Chrysippus, by Tieleman]
	Full Idea: Chrysippus regarded power to act and be acted upon as the criterion for existence or being - a test satisfied by bodies alone.
	From: report of Chrysippus (fragments/reports [c.240 BCE]) by Teun L. Tieleman - Chrysippus
	A reaction: This defines existence in terms of causation. Is he ruling out a priori a particle (say) which exists, but never interacts with anything? If so, he is inclining towards anti-realism.

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 3. Reality

15072	Bottom level facts are subject to time and world, middle to world but not time, and top to neither [Fine,K]
	Full Idea: At the bottom are tensed or temporal facts, subject to the vicissitudes of time and hence of the world. Then come the timeless though worldly facts, subject to the world but not to time. Top are transcendental facts, subject to neither world nor time.
	From: Kit Fine (Necessity and Non-Existence [2005], 08)
	A reaction: For all of Fine's awesome grasp of logic and semantics, when he divides reality up as boldly as this I start to side a bit with the sceptics about modern metaphysics (like Ladyman and Ross). I daresay Fine acknowledges that it is 'speculative'.

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 8. Facts / b. Types of fact

21673	There are simple and complex facts; the latter depend on further facts [Chrysippus, by Cicero]
	Full Idea: Chrysippus says there are two classes of facts, simple and complex. An instance of a simple fact is 'Socrates will die at a given date', ...but 'Milo will wrestle at Olympia' is a complex statement, because there can be no wrestling without an opponent.
	From: report of Chrysippus (fragments/reports [c.240 BCE]) by M. Tullius Cicero - On Fate ('De fato') 13.30
	A reaction: We might say that there are atomic and complex facts, but our atomic facts tend to be much simpler, usually just saying some object has some property.

15071	Tensed and tenseless sentences state two sorts of fact, which belong to two different 'realms' of reality [Fine,K]
	Full Idea: A tensed fact is stated by a tensed sentence while a tenseless fact is stated by a tenseless sentence, and they belong to two 'realms' of reality. That Socrates drank hemlock is in the temporal realm, while 2+2=4 is presumably in the timeless realm.
	From: Kit Fine (Necessity and Non-Existence [2005], 07)
	A reaction: Put so strongly, I suddenly find sales resistance to his proposal. All my instincts favour one realm, and I take 2+2=4 to be a highly general truth about that realm. It may be a truth of any possible realm, which would distinguish it.

7. Existence / E. Categories / 3. Proposed Categories

16652	Stoics categories are Substrate, Quality, Disposition, and Relation [Chrysippus, by Pasnau]
	Full Idea: The Stoics proposed a rather modest categorisation of Substrate, Quality, Disposition, and Relation.
	From: report of Chrysippus (fragments/reports [c.240 BCE]) by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 12.1