Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Preface to 'Dorian Gray'' and 'Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics'

unexpand these ideas     |    start again     |     specify just one area for these texts

---

10 ideas

1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 1. Nature of Metaphysics

7920	Descriptive metaphysics aims at actual structure, revisionary metaphysics at a better structure [Strawson,P]
	Full Idea: Descriptive metaphysics (e.g. Aristotle and Kant) is content to describe the actual structure of our thought about the world; revisionary metaphysics (e.g. Descartes, Leibniz, Berkeley) is concerned to produce a better structure.
	From: Peter F. Strawson (Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics [1959], Intro)
	A reaction: This distinction by Strawson was incredibly helpful in reinstating metaphysics as a feasible activity. I don't want to abandon the revisionary version. We can hammer the current metaphysics into a more efficient shape, or even create new concepts.

1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 6. Metaphysics as Conceptual

7922	Descriptive metaphysics concerns unchanging core concepts and categories [Strawson,P]
	Full Idea: Descriptive metaphysics is primarily concerned with categories and concepts which, in their fundamental character, change not at all. They are the commonplaces of the least refined thinking, and the indispensable core for the most sophisticated humans.
	From: Peter F. Strawson (Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics [1959], Intro)
	A reaction: This seems to be the basic premise for a modern metaphysician such as E.J.Lowe, though such thinkers are not averse to suggesting clarifications of our conceptual scheme. The aim must be good foundations for a successful edifice of knowledge.

1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 5. Linguistic Analysis

7921	Close examination of actual word usage is the only sure way in philosophy [Strawson,P]
	Full Idea: Up to a point, the reliance upon a close examination of the actual use of words is the best, and indeed the only sure, way in philosophy.
	From: Peter F. Strawson (Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics [1959], Intro)
	A reaction: Probably the last bold assertion of ordinary language philosophy, though Strawson goes on the defend his 'deeper' version of the activity, which he says is 'descriptive metaphysics', rather than mere 'analysis'. Mere verbal analysis now looks hopeless.

15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 4. Other Minds / d. Other minds by analogy

9282	I can only apply consciousness predicates to myself if I can apply them to others [Strawson,P]
	Full Idea: One can ascribed states of consciousness to oneself only if one can ascribe them to others. One can ascribe them to others only if one can identify other subjects of experience, and they cannot be identified only as subjects of experience.
	From: Peter F. Strawson (Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics [1959], 3.4)
	A reaction: A neat linguistic twist on the analogy argument, but rather dubious, if it is actually meant to prove that other minds exist. It is based on his view of predicates - see Idea 9281. If the rest of humanity are zombies, why would I not apply them?

16. Persons / B. Nature of the Self / 7. Self and Body / a. Self needs body

9263	A person is an entity to which we can ascribe predicates of consciousness and corporeality [Strawson,P]
	Full Idea: What I mean by the concept of a person is the concept of a type of entity such that both predicates ascribing states of consciousness and predicates ascribing corporeal characteristics are equally applicable to a single individual of that single type.
	From: Peter F. Strawson (Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics [1959], 3.4)
	A reaction: As Frankfurt points out, merely requiring the entity to be 'conscious' is a grossly inadequate definition of what we mean by a person, which is typically a being that is self-aware and capable of rational decisions between alternatives.

19. Language / C. Assigning Meanings / 3. Predicates

9281	The idea of a predicate matches a range of things to which it can be applied [Strawson,P]
	Full Idea: The idea of a predicate is correlative with a range of distinguishable individuals of which the predicate can be significantly, though not necessarily truly, affirmed.
	From: Peter F. Strawson (Individuals:Essay in Descript Metaphysics [1959], 3.4 n1)
	A reaction: Said to be one of Strawson's most important ideas. The idea is that you understand a predicate if you understand its range, not just a one-off application. So you must understand the implied universal, whatever that is.

21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 6. Value of Art

7276	All art is quite useless [Wilde]
	Full Idea: All art is quite useless.
	From: Oscar Wilde (Preface to 'Dorian Gray' [1891])
	A reaction: Echoes Kant's thought that art is 'purposive without purpose'. Although I find Wilde's claims that morality has nothing to do with art to be naïve, I find this remark sympathetic. Art may play with moral feelings, but is unlikely to affect actions.

21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 7. Art and Morality

7274	Books are only well or badly written, not moral or immoral [Wilde]
	Full Idea: There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.
	From: Oscar Wilde (Preface to 'Dorian Gray' [1891])
	A reaction: This is simply false. Novels that are viciously (or subtly) racist, sexist, homophobic, or egotistical can obviously be immoral. I could write a nasty story about Oscar Wilde. It might, though, be very well written. If life is moral, so are novels.

7275	Having ethical sympathies is a bad mannerism of style in an artist [Wilde]
	Full Idea: No artist has ethical sympathies. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable mannerism of style.
	From: Oscar Wilde (Preface to 'Dorian Gray' [1891])
	A reaction: This has a Nietzschean suggestion that the artist is 'beyond good and evil', and operates on some higher level of values, which in Wilde's case seem to be purely aesthetic. You can't justify a callous murder by executing it beautifully.

468	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?