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14528
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Maybe modal thought is unavoidable, as a priori recognition of necessary truth-preservation in reasoning [Hale/Hoffmann,A]
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Full Idea:
There are 'transcendental' arguments saying that modal thought is unavoidable - recognition, a priori, of the necessarily truth-preserving character of some forms of inference is a precondition for rational thought in general, and scientific theorizing.
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From:
Bob Hale/ Aviv Hoffmann (Introduction to 'Modality' [2010], 1)
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A reaction:
So the debate about the status of logical truths and valid inference, are partly debates about whether out thought has to involve modality, or whether it could just be about the actual world. I take possibilities and necssities to be features of nature.
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18884
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Abstraction is usually seen as producing universals and numbers, but it can do more [Simons]
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Full Idea:
Abstraction as a cognitive tool has been associated predominantly with the metaphysics of universals and of mathematical objects such as numbers. But it is more widely applicable beyond this standard range. I commend its judicious use.
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From:
Peter Simons (Modes of Extension: comment on Fine [2008], p.21)
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A reaction:
Personally I think our view of the world is founded on three psychological principles: abstraction, idealisation and generalisation. You can try to give them rigour, as 'equivalence classes', or 'universal quantifications', if it makes you feel better.
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