10 ideas
7493 | Let us reason together, saith the Lord [Isaiah] |
Full Idea: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord. | |
From: Isaiah (23: Book of Isaiah [c.680 BCE], 01.18) | |
A reaction: A verse which not only offers Biblical support for philosophy, but would also seem to be a challenge to Christian fideists. |
23367 | Even pointing a finger should only be done for a reason [Epictetus] |
Full Idea: Philosophy says it is not right even to stretch out a finger without some reason. | |
From: Epictetus (fragments/reports [c.57], 15) | |
A reaction: The key point here is that philosophy concerns action, an idea on which Epictetus is very keen. He rather despise theory. This idea perfectly sums up the concept of the wholly rational life (which no rational person would actually want to live!). |
20475 | Maybe modal sentences cannot be true or false [Casullo] |
Full Idea: Some people claim that modal sentences do not express truths or falsehoods. | |
From: Albert Casullo (A Priori Knowledge [2002], 3.2) | |
A reaction: I can only imagine this coming from a narrow hardline empiricist. It seems to me obvious that we make true or false statements about what is possible or impossible. |
20476 | If the necessary is a priori, so is the contingent, because the same evidence is involved [Casullo] |
Full Idea: If one can only know a priori that a proposition is necessary, then one can know only a priori that a proposition is contingent. The evidence relevant to determining the latter is the same as that relevant to determining the former. | |
From: Albert Casullo (A Priori Knowledge [2002], 3.2) | |
A reaction: This seems a telling point, but I suppose it is obvious. If you see that the cat is on the mat, nothing in the situation tells you whether this is contingent or necessary. We assume it is contingent, but that may be an a priori assumption. |
20471 | Epistemic a priori conditions concern either the source, defeasibility or strength [Casullo] |
Full Idea: There are three suggested epistemic conditions on a priori knowledge: the first regards the source of justification, the second regards the defeasibility of justification, and the third appeals to the strength of justification. | |
From: Albert Casullo (A Priori Knowledge [2002], 2) | |
A reaction: [compressed] He says these are all inspired by Kant. The non-epistemic suggested condition involve necessity or analyticity. The source would have to be entirely mental; the defeasibly could not be experiential; the strength would be certainty. |
20477 | The main claim of defenders of the a priori is that some justifications are non-experiential [Casullo] |
Full Idea: The leading claim of proponents of the a priori is that sources of justification are of two significantly different types: experiential and nonexperiential. Initially this difference is marked at the phenomenological level. | |
From: Albert Casullo (A Priori Knowledge [2002], 5) | |
A reaction: He cites Plantinga and Bealer for the phenomenological starting point (that some knowledge just seems rationally obvious, certain, and perhaps necessary). |
20472 | Analysis of the a priori by necessity or analyticity addresses the proposition, not the justification [Casullo] |
Full Idea: There is reason to view non-epistemic analyses of a priori knowledge (in terms of necessity or analyticity) with suspicion. The a priori concerns justification. Analysis by necessity or analyticity concerns the proposition rather than the justification. | |
From: Albert Casullo (A Priori Knowledge [2002], 2.1) | |
A reaction: [compressed] The fact that the a priori is entirely a mode of justification, rather than a type of truth, is the modern view, influenced by Kripke. Given that assumption, this is a good objection. |
20474 | 'Overriding' defeaters rule it out, and 'undermining' defeaters weaken in [Casullo] |
Full Idea: A justified belief that a proposition is not true is an 'overriding' defeater, ...and the belief that a justification is inadequate or defective is an 'undermining' defeater. | |
From: Albert Casullo (A Priori Knowledge [2002], n 40) | |
A reaction: Sounds more like a sliding scale than a binary option. Quite useful, though. |
7608 | The world is established, and cannot be moved [Isaiah] |
Full Idea: The world is also established, that it cannot be moved. | |
From: Isaiah (23: Book of Isaiah [c.680 BCE], 93.1) | |
A reaction: This verse caused big trouble for Galileo. The only reason I can think of for Isaiah to write this is that occasionally people were prone to panic, and worry that the Earth might suddenly and abruptly be moved. |
7343 | Beside me there is no God [Isaiah] |
Full Idea: I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. | |
From: Isaiah (23: Book of Isaiah [c.680 BCE], 44.06) | |
A reaction: This seems to be the first clear statement (c. 680 BCE) of monotheism, certainly preceding any Greek views on the subject (cf. Idea 2629,Idea 7347). It is not just an arrogant assertion by the jews, but a humble sacrifice, donating their god to humanity. |