Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics', 'Iteration Again' and 'Preface to 'Principles of Philosophy''

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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 / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 4. Metaphysics as Science
21962 Metaphysics is the roots of the tree of science [Descartes]
     Full Idea: The whole of philosophy is like a tree. The roots are metaphysics, the trunk is physics, and the branches emerging from the trunk are all the other sciences.
     From: René Descartes (Preface to 'Principles of Philosophy' [1647]), quoted by A.W. Moore - The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics 01.2
     A reaction: If Descartes had not believed this he would not have bothered with metaphysics, and philosophy might have been dead by 1650.
2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 4. Circularity
3659 I know the truth that God exists and is the author of truth [Descartes]
     Full Idea: I have very clearly deduced the following truths, that there is a God who is the author of all that is in the world, and who is the source of all truth.
     From: René Descartes (Preface to 'Principles of Philosophy' [1647], p.180)
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 5. Conceptions of Set / f. Limitation of Size
13547 Limitation of Size is weak (Fs only collect is something the same size does) or strong (fewer Fs than objects) [Boolos, by Potter]
     Full Idea: Weak Limitation of Size: If there are no more Fs than Gs and the Gs form a collection, then Fs form a collection. Strong Limitation of Size: A property F fails to be collectivising iff there are as many Fs as there are objects.
     From: report of George Boolos (Iteration Again [1989]) by Michael Potter - Set Theory and Its Philosophy 13.5
11. Knowledge Aims / B. Certain Knowledge / 1. Certainty
3657 Understanding, not the senses, gives certainty [Descartes]
     Full Idea: Certainty is not in the sense but in the understanding alone, when it has evident perceptions.
     From: René Descartes (Preface to 'Principles of Philosophy' [1647], p.177)
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)
28. God / C. Attitudes to God / 5. Atheism
3660 Atheism arises from empiricism, because God is intangible [Descartes]
     Full Idea: The existence of God has been doubted by some, because they attributed too much to the perceptions of the senses, and God can be neither seen nor touched.
     From: René Descartes (Preface to 'Principles of Philosophy' [1647], p.180)