Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Dthat', 'works' and 'De Mundo (On the World)'

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4 ideas

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 3. Being / a. Nature of Being

16789	Only supernatural means could annihilate anything once it had being [Hobbes]
	Full Idea: A being cannot naturally go out of existence. For even if a ship or a plank ceases to be a ship or a plank, it never naturally ceases to be a being. For a being, unless it is annihilated, does not cease to be a being. To annihilate is a supernatural task.
	From: Thomas Hobbes (De Mundo (On the World) [1642], 12.5)
	A reaction: This idea was becoming an orthodoxy in Hobbes's time, and leads to the various conservation laws in physics.

19. Language / B. Reference / 3. Direct Reference / b. Causal reference

14080	Are causal descriptions part of the causal theory of reference, or are they just metasemantic? [Kaplan, by Schaffer,J]
	Full Idea: Kaplan notes that the causal theory of reference can be understood in two quite different ways, as part of the semantics (involving descriptions of causal processes), or as metasemantics, explaining why a term has the referent it does.
	From: report of David Kaplan (Dthat [1970]) by Jonathan Schaffer - Deflationary Metaontology of Thomasson 1
	A reaction: [Kaplan 'Afterthought' 1989] The theory tends to be labelled as 'direct' rather than as 'causal' these days, but causal chains are still at the heart of the story (even if more diffused socially). Nice question. Kaplan takes the meta- version as orthodox.

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

22022	Beauty motivates morality, by harmonising feeling and reason [Schiller, by Pinkard]
	Full Idea: On Schiller's view, only beauty could shape or evince the necessary harmony between sensibility and reason (between inclination and duty) which provides the crucial motivation for the moral life.
	From: report of Friedrich Schiller (works [1794]) by Terry Pinkard - German Philosophy 1760-1860 06
	A reaction: Maybe. Reason should probably be drawn towards feelings which seem inspiring.

25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 5. Freedom of lifestyle

7675	Schiller speaks obsessively of freedom throughout his works [Schiller, by Berlin]
	Full Idea: Schiller constantly speaks of spiritual freedom: freedom of reason, the kingdom of freedom, our free self, inner freedom, freedom of mind, moral freedom, the free intelligence - a very favourite phrase - holy freedom, the impregnable citadel of freedom.
	From: report of Friedrich Schiller (works [1794]) by Isaiah Berlin - The Roots of Romanticism
	A reaction: Kant's philosophy and his Kingdom of Ends are an obvious source for this, but I trace the sentiment back to 'Freeborn John' Lilburne during the English Civil War. The English, thanks to Voltaire, embodied freedom in the Enlightenment.