Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Wanderer and his Shadow', 'The Law of Peoples' and 'Confessio naturae contra atheistas'

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3 ideas

9. Objects / A. Existence of Objects / 5. Individuation / c. Individuation by location
A body is that which exists in space [Leibniz]
     Full Idea: A body is defined as that which exists in space.
     From: Gottfried Leibniz (Confessio naturae contra atheistas [1669], A6.1.490), quoted by Daniel Garber - Leibniz:Body,Substance,Monad 1
     A reaction: A very early view. Leibniz notes that this tells you nothing about shape and motion.
24. Political Theory / A. Basis of a State / 1. A People / c. A unified people
Rawls rejected cosmopolitanism because it doesn't respect the autonomy of 'peoples' [Rawls, by Shorten]
     Full Idea: Rawls rejected the cosmopolitan extension of his theory because he thought it failed to respect the political autonomy of 'peoples', which was his term of art for societies or political communities.
     From: report of John Rawls (The Law of Peoples [1999], p.115-8) by Andrew Shorten - Contemporary Political Theory 09
     A reaction: Interesting that you might well start with the concept of 'a people', prior to some sort of social contract, but end up with rather alarming conflicts or indifference between rival peoples. Why should my people help in the famine next door?
26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 2. Natural Purpose / b. Limited purposes
The end need not be the goal, as in the playing of a melody (and yet it must be completed) [Nietzsche]
     Full Idea: Not every end is the goal; the end of a melody is not its goal; and yet: as long as the melody has not reached its end, it also hasn't reached its goal. A parable.
     From: Friedrich Nietzsche (The Wanderer and his Shadow [1880], §204)
     A reaction: A nice message for Aristotle, that there is no simple separation of ends and means.