Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Value of Science', 'Unity of Science as a Working Hypothesis' and 'Marx'

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4 ideas

14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / j. Explanations by reduction

20653	Six reduction levels: groups, lives, cells, molecules, atoms, particles [Putnam/Oppenheim, by Watson]
	Full Idea: There are six 'reductive levels' in science: social groups, (multicellular) living things, cells, molecules, atoms, and elementary particles.
	From: report of H.Putnam/P.Oppenheim (Unity of Science as a Working Hypothesis [1958]) by Peter Watson - Convergence 10 'Intro'
	A reaction: I have the impression that fields are seen as more fundamental that elementary particles. What is the status of the 'laws' that are supposed to govern these things? What is the status of space and time within this picture?

24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 4. Changing the State / c. Revolution

21997	In Marxism the state will be superseded [Singer]
	Full Idea: It is a famous Marxist doctrine that the state will be superseded.
	From: Peter Singer (Marx [1980], 9)
	A reaction: Why is that final state communism rather than anarchism?

24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 9. Communism

21993	Materialist history says we are subject to incomprehensible forces [Singer]
	Full Idea: The materialist conception of history tells us that human beings are totally subject to forces they do not understand and control.
	From: Peter Singer (Marx [1980], 6)
	A reaction: How does Marx know the forces? An exceptionally influential idea, because it is a modern commonplace that we have very little control over our own lives (apart from right wingers asserting that 'you can have anything if you really really want it').

26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 11. Against Laws of Nature

15877	The aim of science is just to create a comprehensive, elegant language to describe brute facts [Poincaré, by Harré]
	Full Idea: In Poincaré's view, we try to construct a language within which the brute facts of experience are expressed as comprehensively and as elegantly as possible. The job of science is the forging of a language precisely suited to that purpose.
	From: report of Henri Poincaré (The Value of Science [1906], Pt III) by Rom Harré - Laws of Nature 2
	A reaction: I'm often struck by how obscure and difficult our accounts of self-evident facts can be. Chairs are easy, and the metaphysics of chairs is hideous. Why is that? I'm a robust realist, but I like Poincaré's idea. He permits facts.