Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Preface to Universal Characteristic' and 'Gravity and Grace (9 extracts)'

unexpand these ideas     |    start again     |     specify just one area for these texts

---

3 ideas

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 2. Invocation to Philosophy

2118	All other human gifts can harm us, but not correct reasoning [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: Although people can be made worse off by all other gifts, correct reasoning alone can only be for the good.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Preface to Universal Characteristic [1679])
	A reaction: How about a kind heart? Not everyone would agree with the remark, but philosophers should.

26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 5. Infinite in Nature

1748	Archelaus was the first person to say that the universe is boundless [Archelaus, by Diog. Laertius]
	Full Idea: Archelaus was the first person to say that the universe is boundless.
	From: report of Archelaus (fragments/reports [c.450 BCE]) by Diogenes Laertius - Lives of Eminent Philosophers 02.Ar.3

27. Natural Reality / G. Biology / 3. Evolution

5989	Archelaus said life began in a primeval slime [Archelaus, by Schofield]
	Full Idea: Archelaus wrote that life on Earth began in a primeval slime.
	From: report of Archelaus (fragments/reports [c.450 BCE]) by Malcolm Schofield - Archelaus
	A reaction: This sounds like a fairly clearcut assertion of the production of life by evolution. Darwin's contribution was to propose the mechanism for achieving it. We should honour the name of Archelaus for this idea.