Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Phaedo', 'Response to David Armstrong' and 'A Pragmatic Conception of the A Priori'

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5 ideas

8. Modes of Existence / A. Relations / 2. Internal Relations
21347 If Simmias is taller than Socrates, that isn't a feature that is just in Simmias [Plato]
     Full Idea: When you say Simmias is taller than Socrates but shorter than Phaedo, so you mean there is in Simmias both tallness and shortness? - I do. ...But surely he is not taller than Socrates because he is Simmias but because of the tallness he happens to have?
     From: Plato (Phaedo [c.382 BCE], 102b-c)
     A reaction: He adds that both people must be cited. This appears to be what we now call a rejection relative height as an 'internal' relation, which is it would presumably be if it was a feature of one or of both men.
8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 1. Powers
18398 Space, time, and some other basics, are not causal powers [Ellis]
     Full Idea: Spatial, temporal, and other primary properties and relationships are not causal powers.
     From: Brian Ellis (Response to David Armstrong [1999], p.42), quoted by David M. Armstrong - Truth and Truthmakers 10.4
     A reaction: It is hard to see how time and space could actually be powers, but future results in physics (or even current results about 'fields') might change that.
8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 6. Platonic Forms / a. Platonic Forms
360 We must have a prior knowledge of equality, if we see 'equal' things and realise they fall short of it [Plato]
     Full Idea: We must have some previous knowledge of equality, before the time when we saw equal things, but realised that they fell short of it.
     From: Plato (Phaedo [c.382 BCE], 075a)
8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 6. Platonic Forms / b. Partaking
1 There is only one source for all beauty [Plato]
     Full Idea: If anything is beautiful other than beauty itself, it is beautiful for no other reason but because it participates in that beautiful.
     From: Plato (Phaedo [c.382 BCE], 100c)
     A reaction: The Greek word will be 'kalon' (beautiful, fine, noble). Like Aristotle, I find it baffling that such diversity could have a single source. Beautiful things have diverse aims.
368 Other things are named after the Forms because they participate in them [Plato]
     Full Idea: The reason why other things are called after the forms is that they participate in the forms.
     From: Plato (Phaedo [c.382 BCE], 102a)