Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Aristotle and Descartes on Matter', 'An Analysis of Knowledge and Valuation' and 'On 'Generation and Corruption''

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7 ideas

12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 2. Qualities in Perception / c. Primary qualities

16718	Primary qualities are the cause of all the other sensible qualities [Albertus Magnus]
	Full Idea: The primary qualities of tangible things are the cause of all the other sensible qualities.
	From: Albertus Magnus (On 'Generation and Corruption' [1261], II.1.1), quoted by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 21.2
	A reaction: This makes the primary qualities sound suspiciously like the essence.

12. Knowledge Sources / E. Direct Knowledge / 4. Memory

21500	We rely on memory for empirical beliefs because they mutually support one another [Lewis,CI]
	Full Idea: When the whole range of empirical beliefs is taken into account, all of them more or less dependent on memorial knowledge, we find that those which are most credible can be assured by their mutual support, or 'congruence'.
	From: C.I. Lewis (An Analysis of Knowledge and Valuation [1946], 334), quoted by Erik J. Olsson - Against Coherence 3.1
	A reaction: Lewis may be over-confident about this, and is duly attacked by Olson, but it seems to me roughly correct. How do you assess whether some unusual element in your memory was a dream or a real experience?

21501	If we doubt memories we cannot assess our doubt, or what is being doubted [Lewis,CI]
	Full Idea: To doubt our sense of past experience as founded in actuality, would be to lose any criterion by which either the doubt itself or what is doubted could be corroborated.
	From: C.I. Lewis (An Analysis of Knowledge and Valuation [1946], 358), quoted by Erik J. Olsson - Against Coherence 3.3.1
	A reaction: Obviously scepticism about memory can come in degrees, but total rejection of short-term and clear memories looks like a non-starter. What could you put in its place? Hyper-rationalism? Even maths needs memory.

13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 4. Foundationalism / a. Foundationalism

6556	If anything is to be probable, then something must be certain [Lewis,CI]
	Full Idea: If anything is to be probable, then something must be certain.
	From: C.I. Lewis (An Analysis of Knowledge and Valuation [1946], 186), quoted by Robert Fogelin - Walking the Tightrope of Reason Intro
	A reaction: Lewis makes this comment when facing infinite regress problems. It is a very nice slogan for foundationalism, which embodies the slippery slope view. Personally I feel the emotional pull of foundations, but acknowledge the very strong doubts about them.

13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 5. Coherentism / b. Pro-coherentism

21498	Congruents assertions increase the probability of each individual assertion in the set [Lewis,CI]
	Full Idea: A set of statements, or a set of supposed facts asserted, will be said to be congruent if and only if they are so related that the antecedent probability of any one of them will be increased if the remainder of the set can be assumed as given premises.
	From: C.I. Lewis (An Analysis of Knowledge and Valuation [1946], 338), quoted by Erik J. Olsson - Against Coherence 2.2
	A reaction: This thesis is vigorously attacked by Erik Olson, who works through the probability calculations. There seems an obvious problem without that. How else do you assess 'congruence', other than by evidence of mutual strengthening?

18. Thought / C. Content / 8. Intension

5828	Extension is the class of things, intension is the correct definition of the thing, and intension determines extension [Lewis,CI]
	Full Idea: "The denotation or extension of a term is the class of all actual or existent things which the term correctly applies to or names; the connotation or intension of a term is delimited by any correct definition of it." ..And intension determines extension.
	From: C.I. Lewis (An Analysis of Knowledge and Valuation [1946]), quoted by Stephen P. Schwartz - Intro to Naming,Necessity and Natural Kinds §II
	A reaction: The last part is one of the big ideas in philosophy of language, which was rejected by Putnam and co. If you were to reverse the slogan, though, (to extension determines intension) how would you identify the members of the extension?

26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 6. Early Matter Theories / b. Prime matter

19399	Prime matter is nothing when it is at rest [Leibniz]
	Full Idea: Primary matter is nothing if considered at rest.
	From: Gottfried Leibniz (Aristotle and Descartes on Matter [1671], p.90)
	A reaction: This goes with Leibniz's Idea 13393, that activity is the hallmark of existence. No one seems to have been able to make good sense of prime matter, and it plays little role in Aristotle's writings.