5 ideas
7493 | Let us reason together, saith the Lord [Isaiah] |
Full Idea: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord. | |
From: Isaiah (23: Book of Isaiah [c.680 BCE], 01.18) | |
A reaction: A verse which not only offers Biblical support for philosophy, but would also seem to be a challenge to Christian fideists. |
3102 | Why don't we experience or remember going to sleep at night? [Magee] |
Full Idea: As a child it was incomprehensible to me that I did not experience going to sleep, and never remembered it. When my sister said 'Nobody remembers that', I just thought 'How does she know?' | |
From: Bryan Magee (Confessions of a Philosopher [1997], Ch.I) | |
A reaction: This is actually evidence for something - that we do not have some sort of personal identity which is separate from consciousness, so that "I am conscious" would literally mean that an item has a property, which it can lose. |
7101 | Virtue theory needs an external standard to judge behaviour and character [Inwagen, by Statman] |
Full Idea: Virtue theory leaves out something essential, namely, the existence of a standard of behaviour which is prior to and independent of human character, in terms of which we evaluate the behaviour and character of ourselves and others. | |
From: report of Peter van Inwagen (Response to Slote [1990]) by Daniel Statman - Introduction to Virtue Ethics §5 | |
A reaction: This sounds very like Moore's Naturalistic Fallacy. Personally I prefer Aristotle's naturalistic reliance on human nature and function to Moore's totally unjustified intuitionist Platonism. How can anything be good if it isn't supposed to do anything? |
7608 | The world is established, and cannot be moved [Isaiah] |
Full Idea: The world is also established, that it cannot be moved. | |
From: Isaiah (23: Book of Isaiah [c.680 BCE], 93.1) | |
A reaction: This verse caused big trouble for Galileo. The only reason I can think of for Isaiah to write this is that occasionally people were prone to panic, and worry that the Earth might suddenly and abruptly be moved. |
7343 | Beside me there is no God [Isaiah] |
Full Idea: I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. | |
From: Isaiah (23: Book of Isaiah [c.680 BCE], 44.06) | |
A reaction: This seems to be the first clear statement (c. 680 BCE) of monotheism, certainly preceding any Greek views on the subject (cf. Idea 2629,Idea 7347). It is not just an arrogant assertion by the jews, but a humble sacrifice, donating their god to humanity. |