Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Matter and Memory', 'Of Organum or Ars Magna of Thinking' and 'On Motion'

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6 ideas

1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 1. Nature of Analysis
5021 An idea is analysed perfectly when it is shown a priori that it is possible [Leibniz]
     Full Idea: Every idea is analysed perfectly only when it is demonstrated a priori that it is possible.
     From: Gottfried Leibniz (Of Organum or Ars Magna of Thinking [1679], p.3)
     A reaction: I take it he means metaphysical possibility, rather than natural, or we can't think about pigs flying. He probably has maths in mind. Seeing the possibility of something may well amount to understanding its truth conditions.
7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 3. Being / c. Becoming
21846 Bergson was a rallying point, because he emphasised becomings and multiplicities [Bergson, by Deleuze]
     Full Idea: Bergson was a rallying point for all the opposition, …not so much because of the theme of duration, as of the theory and practice of becoming of all kinds, of coexistent multiplicities.
     From: report of Henri Bergson (Matter and Memory [1896]) by Gilles Deleuze - A Conversation: what is it? What is it for? I
     A reaction: The three heroes of Deleuze are Spinoza, Nietzsche and Bergson. All philosophers are either of Being, or of Becoming, I suggest.
12. Knowledge Sources / E. Direct Knowledge / 4. Memory
21854 Bergson showed that memory is not after the event, but coexists with it [Bergson, by Deleuze]
     Full Idea: Bergson has shown that memory is not an actual image which forms after the object has been perceived, but a virtual image coexisting with the actual perception of the object.
     From: report of Henri Bergson (Matter and Memory [1896]) by Gilles Deleuze - The Actual and the Virtual p.114
     A reaction: It strikes me as plausible to say that all conscious life is memory. Perceiving the present instant is only possible because it endures for a tiny moment.
13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 4. Foundationalism / d. Rational foundations
5020 Our thoughts are either dependent, or self-evident. All thoughts seem to end in the self-evident [Leibniz]
     Full Idea: Whatever is thought by us is either conceived through itself, or involves the concept of another. …Thus one must proceed to infinity, or all thoughts are resolved into those which are conceived through themselves.
     From: Gottfried Leibniz (Of Organum or Ars Magna of Thinking [1679], p.1)
     A reaction: This seems to embody the rationalist attitude to foundations. I am sympathetic. Experiences just come to us as basic, but they don't qualify as 'thoughts', let alone knowledge. Experiences are more 'given' than 'conceptual'.
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 2. Happiness / d. Routes to happiness
5019 Supreme human happiness is the greatest possible increase of his perfection [Leibniz]
     Full Idea: The supreme happiness of man consists in the greatest possible increase of his perfection.
     From: Gottfried Leibniz (Of Organum or Ars Magna of Thinking [1679], p.1)
     A reaction: I fear that (being a great intellectual) he had a rather intellectual interpretation of 'perfection'. This is in danger of being a tautology, but if the proposal is given an Aritotelian slant I am sympathetic.
27. Natural Reality / B. Modern Physics / 1. Relativity / a. Special relativity
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.