Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Power/Knowledge' and 'Quantification and Descriptions'

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5 ideas

2. Reason / D. Definition / 7. Contextual Definition

18776	Contextual definitions eliminate descriptions from contexts [Linsky,B]
	Full Idea: A 'contextual' definition shows how to eliminate a description from a context.
	From: Bernard Linsky (Quantification and Descriptions [2014], 2)
	A reaction: I'm trying to think of an example, but what I come up with are better described as 'paraphrases' than as 'definitions'.

5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 2. Descriptions / b. Definite descriptions

18774	Definite descriptions, unlike proper names, have a logical structure [Linsky,B]
	Full Idea: Definite descriptions seem to have a logical structure in a way that proper names do not.
	From: Bernard Linsky (Quantification and Descriptions [2014], 1.1.1)
	A reaction: Thus descriptions have implications which plain names do not.

24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 1. Social Power

8991	Foucault can't accept that power is sometimes decent and benign [Foucault, by Scruton]
	Full Idea: It became impossible for Foucault to accept that power is sometimes decent and benign.
	From: report of Michel Foucault (Power/Knowledge [1980]) by Roger Scruton - Upon Nothing: Swansea lecture p.12
	A reaction: Actually Idea 7425 suggests that Foucault has no dream of eliminating power, but he does seem to be utterly in favour of maximum autonomy, and to regard paternalism as inherently evil. What sort of parent would Foucault have been?

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.