Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Commentary on 'De Anima'', 'fragments/reports' and 'Anselm and Actuality'

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6 ideas

4. Formal Logic / D. Modal Logic ML / 4. Alethic Modal Logic
For modality Lewis rejected boxes and diamonds, preferring worlds, and an index for the actual one [Lewis, by Stalnaker]
     Full Idea: Lewis was suspicious of boxes and diamonds as regimenting ordinary modal thought, …preferring a first-order extensional theory including possible worlds in its domain and an indexical singular term for the actual world.
     From: report of David Lewis (Anselm and Actuality [1970]) by Robert C. Stalnaker - Mere Possibilities 3.8
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / e. Death
The soul conserves the body, as we see by its dissolution when the soul leaves [Toletus]
     Full Idea: Every accident of a living thing, as well as all its organs and temperaments and its dispositions are conserved by the soul. We see this from experience, since when that soul recedes, all these dissolve and become corrupted.
     From: Franciscus Toletus (Commentary on 'De Anima' [1572], II.1.1), quoted by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 24.5
     A reaction: A nice example of observing a phenemonon, but not being able to observe the dependence relation the right way round. Compare Descartes in Idea 16763.
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / a. Nature of virtue
We must choose in which of the virtues we wish to excel [Panaetius]
     Full Idea: Humans have four roles in life, of which the fourth involves choices, of career, and of the virtue in which one wishes to excel.
     From: Panaetius (fragments/reports [c.145 BCE]), quoted by Elizabeth Asmis - Panaetius
     A reaction: Panaetius strikes me as exceptionally wise. A big gap in Aristotle is the fact that we cannot excel in all virtues, and that therefore some choice is required. By what criteria? We have the Gauguin problem (excel in one, disgraceful in the others).
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / b. Living naturally
Panaetius said we should live according to our natural starting-points [Panaetius, by Asmis]
     Full Idea: Panaetius reformulated the Stoic goal as living in accordance with the starting-points given to us by nature.
     From: report of Panaetius (fragments/reports [c.145 BCE]) by Elizabeth Asmis - Panaetius
     A reaction: This sounds remarkably like the substitution of meritocratic equality of opportunity for communistic actual equality. In other words, it doesn't sound very Stoic. 'Live according to nature' implies more restraint than this ambitious version.
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / d. Courage
Panaetius identified courage with great-mindedness, preferring civic courage to military [Panaetius, by Asmis]
     Full Idea: Panaetius recast the virtue of courage as 'greatmindedness' (Aristotle's paramount virtue), he demoted military valour and gave priority to courage displayed in civic life.
     From: report of Panaetius (fragments/reports [c.145 BCE]) by Elizabeth Asmis - Panaetius
     A reaction: I find this very appealing, as I am increasingly horrified by our denigration of the people who implement our democracy for us. We urgently need to get back to the Greek idea of civic virtue, and this idea of Panaetius should be widely promulgated.
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 2. Immortality / a. Immortality
Souls are born, since they are sensitive and inherited, so they must perish [Panaetius, by Cicero]
     Full Idea: Panaetius says that whatever is born must perish, and souls are clearly born, as shown by the resemblance of children to their parents in disposition as well as body; also, anything sensible of pain is susceptible to sickness, and hence perishes.
     From: report of Panaetius (fragments/reports [c.145 BCE]) by M. Tullius Cicero - Tusculan Disputations I.xxxii
     A reaction: These seem to be rather good arguments. If we actually observe what someone's soul is like (through character) it seems rooted in a family and culture, and it certainly seems susceptible to disease. An empirical approach.