Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Kant's Analytic' and 'Go Figure: a Path through Fictionalism'

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4 ideas

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 7. Fictionalism
Fictionalism allows that simulated beliefs may be tracking real facts [Yablo]
     Full Idea: The fictionalist offers the option that your simulated beliefs and assertions may be tracking a realm of genuine facts, or a realm of what you take to be facts.
     From: Stephen Yablo (Go Figure: a Path through Fictionalism [2001], 13)
     A reaction: This means that fictionalism does not have to be an error theory. That is, we aren't mistakenly believing something that we actually made up. Instead we are sensibly believing something we know to be not literally true. Love it.
10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 2. Nature of Possible Worlds / b. Worlds as fictions
Governing possible worlds theory is the fiction that if something is possible, it happens in a world [Yablo]
     Full Idea: The governing fiction of possible worlds theory says that whenever something is possible, there is a world where it happens.
     From: Stephen Yablo (Go Figure: a Path through Fictionalism [2001], 05)
     A reaction: This sounds like the only sensible attitude to possible worlds I can think of.
21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 7. Art and Morality
Musical performance can reveal a range of virtues [Damon of Ath.]
     Full Idea: In singing and playing the lyre, a boy will be likely to reveal not only courage and moderation, but also justice.
     From: Damon (fragments/reports [c.460 BCE], B4), quoted by (who?) - where?
27. Natural Reality / C. Space / 4. Substantival Space
Empty space is measurable in ways in which empty time necessarily is not [Bennett, by Shoemaker]
     Full Idea: Because of the multidimensionality of space and unidimensionality of time, empty space is measurable in ways in which empty time necessarily is not.
     From: report of Jonathan Bennett (Kant's Analytic [1966], p.175) by Sydney Shoemaker - Time Without Change p.49 n4
     A reaction: An interesting observation, which could have been used by Samuel Clarke in his attempts to prove absolute space to Leibniz. The point does not prove absolute space, of course, but it seems to make a difference.