Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Necessity and Non-Existence' and '27: Book of Daniel'

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5 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 / 5. Reason for Existence

458	Nothing could come out of nothing, and existence could never completely cease [Empedocles]
	Full Idea: From what in no wise exists, it is impossible for anything to come into being; for Being to perish completely is incapable of fulfilment and unthinkable.
	From: Empedocles (fragments/reports [c.453 BCE], B012), quoted by Anon (Lyc) - On Melissus 975b1-4

7. Existence / B. Change in Existence / 1. Nature of Change

5112	Empedocles says things are at rest, unless love unites them, or hatred splits them [Empedocles, by Aristotle]
	Full Idea: Empedocles claims that things are alternately changing and at rest - that they are changing whenever love is creating a unity out of plurality, or hatred is creating plurality out of unity, and they are at rest in the times in between.
	From: report of Empedocles (fragments/reports [c.453 BCE]) by Aristotle - Physics 250b26
	A reaction: I suppose one must say that this an example of Ruskin's 'pathetic fallacy' - reading human emotions into the cosmos. Being constructive little creatures, we think goodness leads to construction. I'm afraid Empedocles is just wrong.

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

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.