8 ideas
23889 | Among the Greeks Aristotle is the only philosopher in the modern style [Weil] |
Full Idea: In Greece, Aristotle is perhaps the only philosopher in the modern sense, and he is entirely outside the Greek tradition. | |
From: Simone Weil (God in Plato [1942], p.45) | |
A reaction: She sees Plato as embodying the true tradition. Everything Aristotle writes is 'peri phusis' (about nature), and that is a standard topic of philosophy right from the start. She emphasises Plato long historical roots. Pythagoras is key. |
6564 | To affirm 'p and not-p' is to have mislearned 'and' or 'not' [Quine] |
Full Idea: To affirm a compound of the form 'p and not-p' is just to have mislearned one or both of these particles. | |
From: Willard Quine (From Stimulus to Science [1995], p.23), quoted by Robert Fogelin - Walking the Tightrope of Reason Ch.1 | |
A reaction: Quoted by Fogelin. This summarises the view of logic developed by the young Wittgenstein, that logical terms are 'operators', rather than referring terms. Of course the speaker may have a compartmentalised mind, or not understand 'p' properly. |
22252 | Capitalism may actually be the best way to foster community [Conway,D] |
Full Idea: Not only is there no good reason for supposing capitalism inimical to community, but there is reason to think it more conducive to community than the feasible alternatives to it. | |
From: David Conway (Capitalism and Community [1996], I) | |
A reaction: Conway is defending an obviously unorthodox view, while attacking the hopes of communitarians. |
22253 | Capitalism is just the market, with optional limited government, and perhaps democracy [Conway,D] |
Full Idea: There are three types of capitalism: 1) the market - private ownership, labor contracts and profit, 2) limited government - the state provides goods the market cannot do, 3) limited government with democracy - with political freedom and elections. | |
From: David Conway (Capitalism and Community [1996], II) | |
A reaction: [compressed] I would have thought that capitalism is compatible with a fair degree of workplace democracy, which would make a fourth type. |
22256 | Capitalism prefers representative democracy, which avoids community decision-making [Conway,D] |
Full Idea: By opting for representative rather than direct democracy, capitalism is said to preclude political community, for which the citizens of a state must possess a common will, which needs their direct participation in decisions. | |
From: David Conway (Capitalism and Community [1996], V) | |
A reaction: Conway does not accept this claim. I'm beginning to wonder whether the famous British electoral system is actually a capitalist conspiracy against the people. |
22255 | Capitalism breaks up extended families, and must then provide welfare for the lonely people [Conway,D] |
Full Idea: It is said that capitalism encourages the breakup of extended families, which creates the need for extensive state welfare for those indigent members of society who can no longer rely on their own family to take care of them. | |
From: David Conway (Capitalism and Community [1996], V) | |
A reaction: Conway does not accept this claim. It seems to simplistic to say that capitalism is the sole culprit. Any rise of mechanisation in agriculture would break up rural extended families. |
22257 | Capitalism is anti-community, by only valuing individuals, and breaking up families [Conway,D] |
Full Idea: Communitarns say capitalism is inimical to family community, because it encourages an individualistic mentality which only values self-fulfilment, and because it demands labour mobility which is disruptive of families. | |
From: David Conway (Capitalism and Community [1996], VI) | |
A reaction: Chicken-and-egg with the first one. Small entrepreneurs are individualists who seek their own gain. It is big capitalism that sucks in the others. Traditional community is based on labour-intensive agriculture. |
23892 | The only legitimate proof of God by order derives from beauty [Weil] |
Full Idea: The only legitimate proof [of God's existence] from the order of the world is the proof from the beauty of the world. | |
From: Simone Weil (God in Plato [1942], p.89) | |
A reaction: She finds this proof in Plato. Hume's critique never (I think) mentions beauty, although in the 18thC love of the sublime could play that role. For me, the human experience of beauty doesn't have such cosmic significance. |