Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics', 'Cosmic Apprentice' and 'The Laws of Thought'

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7 ideas

1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 1. Nature of Metaphysics

21959	Metaphysics is the most general attempt to make sense of things [Moore,AW]
	Full Idea: Metaphysics is the most general attempt to make sense of things.
	From: A.W. Moore (The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics [2012], Intro)
	A reaction: This is the first sentence of Moore's book, and a touchstone idea all the way through. It stands up well, because it says enough without committing to too much. I have to agree with it. It implies explanation as the key. I like generality too.

1. Philosophy / G. Scientific Philosophy / 3. Scientism

16567	Scientists know everything about nothing, philosophers nothing about everything [Sagan,D]
	Full Idea: The scientist learns more and more about less and less, until she knows everything about nothing, whereas a philosopher learns less and less about more and more until he knows nothing about everything.
	From: Dorion Sagan (Cosmic Apprentice [2013])
	A reaction: [Came via Twitter] Not sure if this is true, but it is too nice to miss.

4. Formal Logic / B. Propositional Logic PL / 1. Propositional Logic

8083	Boole applied normal algebra to logic, aiming at an algebra of thought [Boole, by Devlin]
	Full Idea: Boole proposed to use the entire apparatus of a school algebra class, with operations such as addition and multiplication, methods to solve equations, and the like, to produce an algebra of thought.
	From: report of George Boole (The Laws of Thought [1854]) by Keith Devlin - Goodbye Descartes Ch.3
	A reaction: The Stoics didn’t use any algebraic notation for their study of propositions, so Boole's idea launched full blown propositional logic, and the rest of modern logic followed. Nice one.

7727	Boole's notation can represent syllogisms and propositional arguments, but not both at once [Boole, by Weiner]
	Full Idea: Boole introduced a new symbolic notation in which it was possible to represent both syllogisms and propositional arguments, ...but not both at once.
	From: report of George Boole (The Laws of Thought [1854], Ch.3) by Joan Weiner - Frege
	A reaction: How important is the development of symbolic notations for the advancement of civilisations? Is there a perfect notation, as used in logical heaven?

5. Theory of Logic / A. Overview of Logic / 2. History of Logic

8686	Boole made logic more mathematical, with algebra, quantifiers and probability [Boole, by Friend]
	Full Idea: Boole (followed by Frege) began to turn logic from a branch of philosophy into a branch of mathematics. He brought an algebraic approach to propositions, and introduced the notion of a quantifier and a type of probabilistic reasoning.
	From: report of George Boole (The Laws of Thought [1854], 3.2) by Michèle Friend - Introducing the Philosophy of Mathematics
	A reaction: The result was that logic not only became more mathematical, but also more specialised. We now have two types of philosopher, those steeped in mathematical logic and the rest. They don't always sing from the same songsheet.

5. Theory of Logic / H. Proof Systems / 2. Axiomatic Proof

22277	Boole's method was axiomatic, achieving economy, plus multiple interpretations [Boole, by Potter]
	Full Idea: Boole's work was an early example of the axiomatic method, whereby intellectual economy is achieved by studying a set of axioms in which the primitive terms have multiple interpretations.
	From: report of George Boole (The Laws of Thought [1854]) by Michael Potter - The Rise of Analytic Philosophy 1879-1930 02 'Boole'
	A reaction: Unclear about this. I suppose the axioms are just syntactic, and a range of semantic interpretations can be applied. Are De Morgan's Laws interpretations, or implications of the syntactic axioms? The latter, I think.

11. Knowledge Aims / C. Knowing Reality / 3. Idealism / b. Transcendental idealism

21958	Appearances are nothing beyond representations, which is transcendental ideality [Moore,AW]
	Full Idea: Appearances in general are nothing outside our representations, which is just what we mean by transcendental ideality.
	From: A.W. Moore (The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics [2012], B535/A507)