Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'A priori/A posteriori', 'The Human Body is a sort of Machine' and 'talk'

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3 ideas

6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 10. Constructivism / a. Constructivism

9916	Convention, yes! Arbitrary, no! [Poincaré, by Putnam]
	Full Idea: Poincaré once exclaimed, 'Convention, yes! Arbitrary, no!'.
	From: report of Henri Poincaré (talk [1901]) by Hilary Putnam - Models and Reality
	A reaction: An interesting view. It mustn't be assumed that conventions are not rooted in something. Maybe a sort of pragmatism is implied.

12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 10. A Priori as Subjective

3913	Maybe imagination is the source of a priori justification [Casullo]
	Full Idea: Some maintain that experiments in imagination are the source of a priori justification.
	From: Albert Casullo (A priori/A posteriori [1992], p.1)
	A reaction: What else could assessments of possibility and necessity be based on except imagination?

26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 2. Natural Purpose / b. Limited purposes

19376	A machine is best defined by its final cause, which explains the roles of the parts [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: Any machine ...is best defined in terms of its final cause, so that in the description of the parts it is therefore apparent in what way each of them is coordinated with the others for the intended us.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (The Human Body is a sort of Machine [1683], p.290), quoted by Richard T.W. Arthur - Leibniz 3 'Machines'
	A reaction: We would use the 'function', an inherently teleological concept, and a concept which is almost indispensable for giving an illuminating description of the world. If nature is dispositional, it points towards things. Leibniz views persons as machines.