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All the ideas for 'Of Civil Liberty', 'fragments/reports' and 'Mathematical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times'

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4 ideas

1. Philosophy / C. History of Philosophy / 2. Ancient Philosophy / c. Classical philosophy

21336	Crates lived in poverty, and treated his whole life as a joke [Crates of Thebes, by Plutarch]
	Full Idea: Crates, with his bag and threadbare cloak, spent his whole life laughing and joking as though he were on holiday.
	From: report of Crates (Theb) (fragments/reports [c.325 BCE]) by Plutarch - 30: Quiet of Mind 266e
	A reaction: Crates sounds a little less alarming than Diogenes, while living a similar life. Was Crates the first ancestor of post-modernism?

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / a. Philosophy as worldly

1767	Everyone should study philosophy until they see all people in the same light [Crates of Thebes, by Diog. Laertius]
	Full Idea: A man should study philosophy up to the point of looking on generals and donkey-drivers in the same light.
	From: report of Crates (Theb) (fragments/reports [c.325 BCE]) by Diogenes Laertius - Lives of Eminent Philosophers 06.Cr.9
	A reaction: This seems to reject Aristote's idea that some people are clearly superior to others.

5. Theory of Logic / K. Features of Logics / 1. Axiomatisation

17606	Axioms reveal the underlying assumptions, and reveal relationships between different areas [Kline]
	Full Idea: The axiomatic method ....revealed precisely what assumptions underlie each branch [of mathematics] and made possible the comparison and clarification of the relationships of various branches.
	From: Morris Kline (Mathematical Thought from Ancient to Modern Times [1972], p.1027), quoted by Penelope Maddy - Defending the Axioms 1.3
	A reaction: I take this to be the 'fruitfulness' which marks out the discovery of the essence of something.

24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 2. Leaders / b. Monarchy

21097	Modern monarchies are (like republics) rule by law, rather than by men [Hume]
	Full Idea: In modern times monarchical government seems to have made the greatest advances towards perfection. It may now be affirmed of civilized monarchies, what was formerly said in praise of republics alone, that they are a government of laws, not of men.
	From: David Hume (Of Civil Liberty [1750], p.54)
	A reaction: Dreams of simple 'government by law' disappeared with the rise of modern media, which can be controlled by wealth.