9145
|
We form the image of a cardinal number by a double abstraction, from the elements and from their order [Cantor]
|
|
Full Idea:
We call 'cardinal number' the general concept which, by means of our active faculty of thought, arises when we make abstraction from an aggregate of its various elements, and of their order. From this double abstraction the number is an image in our mind.
|
|
From:
George Cantor (Beitrage [1915], §1), quoted by Kit Fine - Cantorian Abstraction: Recon. and Defence Intro
|
|
A reaction:
[compressed] This is the great Cantor, creator of set theory, endorsing the traditional abstractionism which Frege and his followers so despise. Fine offers a defence of it. The Frege view is platonist, because it refuses to connect numbers to the world.
|
20417
|
Expression can be either necessary for art, or sufficient for art (or even both) [Kemp]
|
|
Full Idea:
Seeing art as expression has two components: 1) if something is a work of art, then it is expressive, 2) if something is expressive, then it is a work of art. So expression can be necessary or sufficient for art. (or both, for Croce and Collingwood).
|
|
From:
Gary Kemp (Croce and Collingwood [2012], 1)
|
|
A reaction:
I take the idea that art 'expresses' the feelings of an artist to be false. Artists are more like actors. Nearly all art has some emotional impact, which is of major importance, but I don't think 'expression' is a very good word for that.
|
12709
|
Motion is not absolute, but consists in relation [Leibniz]
|
|
Full Idea:
In reality motion is not something absolute, but consists in relation.
|
|
From:
Gottfried Leibniz (On Motion [1677], A6.4.1968), quoted by Daniel Garber - Leibniz:Body,Substance,Monad 3
|
|
A reaction:
It is often thought that motion being relative was invented by Einstein, but Leibniz wholeheartedly embraced 'Galilean relativity', and refused to even consider any absolute concept of motion. Acceleration is a bit trickier than velocity.
|