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All the ideas for 'The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics', 'The Philosophy of Logic' and 'Review of 'The Price is Wrong' by B.Christophers'

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10 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.
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 5. The Infinite / i. Cardinal infinity
18200 Very large sets should be studied in an 'if-then' spirit [Putnam]
     Full Idea: Sets of a very high type or very high cardinality (higher than the continuum, for example), should today be investigated in an 'if-then' spirit.
     From: Hilary Putnam (The Philosophy of Logic [1971], p.347), quoted by Penelope Maddy - Naturalism in Mathematics
     A reaction: Quine says the large sets should be regarded as 'uninterpreted'.
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 4. Mathematical Empiricism / b. Indispensability of mathematics
18199 Indispensability strongly supports predicative sets, and somewhat supports impredicative sets [Putnam]
     Full Idea: We may say that indispensability is a pretty strong argument for the existence of at least predicative sets, and a pretty strong, but not as strong, argument for the existence of impredicative sets.
     From: Hilary Putnam (The Philosophy of Logic [1971], p.346), quoted by Penelope Maddy - Naturalism in Mathematics II.2
8857 We must quantify over numbers for science; but that commits us to their existence [Putnam]
     Full Idea: Quantification over mathematical entities is indispensable for science..., therefore we should accept such quantification; but this commits us to accepting the existence of the mathematical entities in question.
     From: Hilary Putnam (The Philosophy of Logic [1971], p.57), quoted by Stephen Yablo - Apriority and Existence
     A reaction: I'm not surprised that Hartry Field launched his Fictionalist view of mathematics in response to such a counterintuitive claim. I take it we use numbers to slice up reality the way we use latitude to slice up the globe. No commitment to lines!
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)
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 11. Capitalism
24071 Markets are transparent, with known prices and activity, and minimal profits [Davies,W]
     Full Idea: Markets are characterised by transparency. Prices are public, and all relevant activity is visible to everyone. And because of competition, profits are minimal, little more than a 'wage' for the seller.
     From: William Davies (Review of 'The Price is Wrong' by B.Christophers [2024], 24-04-04)
     A reaction: This account, from Braudel, is to distinguish markets from capitalism.
24070 Economies have material, economic and capitalist layers [Davies,W]
     Full Idea: Braudel's economic history has three layers. At the bottom is material life of consumption, production, reproduction. Next is economic life of markets, of equals in exchange and competition. Top is capitalism, of opacity, monopoly, power, high profits.
     From: William Davies (Review of 'The Price is Wrong' by B.Christophers [2024], 24-04-04)
     A reaction: The point Davies emphasises here is the sharp distinction between the market economy and capitalism.
24072 Capitalism is the anti-market, with opacity, monopolies, powers, exceptional profits and wealth [Davies,W]
     Full Idea: Braudel sees capitalism as the 'anti-market': a world of opacity, monopoly, concentration of power and wealth, and the exceptional profits that can be achieved only by escaping the norms of 'economic life'.
     From: William Davies (Review of 'The Price is Wrong' by B.Christophers [2024], 24-04-04)
     A reaction: Given all the talk about the wonders of the 'free market' from right-wingers, this passage came as a revelation to me. Capitalists all dream of a monopoly, which is precisely the destruction of a market.
24074 Capitalism must mainly rely either on the labour market, or on the financial markets [Davies,W]
     Full Idea: According to Marxists, the one market capitalism cannot do without is the labour market, which creates saleable things. Others, influenced by Keynes, emphasise financial markets, where pieces of paper change hands on expectation of their value.
     From: William Davies (Review of 'The Price is Wrong' by B.Christophers [2024], 24-04-04)
     A reaction: Modern Britain fits the Keynesian account much better, given its low production, and very active (until recently) London financial market.
24073 Capitalists use their exceptional power to impose their own rules, and make the state their ally [Davies,W]
     Full Idea: Capitalists exploit their unrivalled control over time and space in order to impose their rules on everyone else. …It triumphed late, only becoming dominant in the 19th century, when it had conscripted the state as its ally.
     From: William Davies (Review of 'The Price is Wrong' by B.Christophers [2024], 24-04-04)
     A reaction: This so very much makes sense of the modern world. Nowadays capitalists are so wealthy that the state has largely become their pawn, rather than their ally. Populist leaders are their puppets (and are well rewarded).