Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'works (all lost)', 'The Architecture of Theories' and 'The General Theory of Employment'

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4 ideas

17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 1. Dualism

14802	Physical and psychical laws of mind are either independent, or derived in one or other direction [Peirce]
	Full Idea: The question about minds is whether 1) physical and psychical laws are independent (monism, my neutralism), 2) the psychical laws derived and physical laws primordial (materialism), 3) physical law is derived, psychical law primordial (idealism).
	From: Charles Sanders Peirce (The Architecture of Theories [1891], p.321)
	A reaction: I think you are already in trouble when you start proposing that there are two quite distinct sets of laws, and then worry about how they are related. Assume unity, and only separate them when the science forces you to (which it won't).

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / b. Liberal individualism

22601	Laissez-faire individualism doesn't work, especially in troublesome times [Keynes]
	Full Idea: It is obvious that an individualist society left to itself does not work well or even tolerably. The more troublesome the times, the worse does a laissez-faire system work.
	From: Maynard Keynes (The General Theory of Employment [1936]), quoted by Ian Dunt - How to be a Liberal 7
	A reaction: I thought I was a Communitarian, but I may be a Keynesian Liberal, committed to a safety net welfare system. I haven't quite decided yet. Political philosophy is hopeless, if the ideas actually have to be implemented. What is the criterion of 'work'?

26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 1. Laws of Nature

14800	The world is full of variety, but laws seem to produce uniformity [Peirce]
	Full Idea: Exact law obviously never can produce heterogeneity out of homogeneity; and arbitrary heterogeneity is the feature of the universe the most manifest and characteristic.
	From: Charles Sanders Peirce (The Architecture of Theories [1891], p.319)
	A reaction: This is the view of laws of nature now associated with Nancy Cartwright, but presumably you can explain the apparent chaos in terms of the intersection of vast numbers of 'laws'. Or, better, there aren't any laws.

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

14801	Darwinian evolution is chance, with the destruction of bad results [Peirce]
	Full Idea: Darwinian evolution is evolution by the operation of chance, and the destruction of bad results.
	From: Charles Sanders Peirce (The Architecture of Theories [1891], p.320)
	A reaction: The 'destruction of bad results' is a much better slogan for Darwin that Spencer's 'survival of the fittest'. It is, of course, a rather unattractive God who makes progress by endlessly destroying huge quantities of failed (but living) experiments.