Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'works', 'On Medical Experience' and 'Particulars in Particular Clothing'

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4 ideas

1. Philosophy / G. Scientific Philosophy / 1. Aims of Science

6782	Realism is the only philosophy of science that doesn't make the success of science a miracle [Putnam]
	Full Idea: Realism….is the only philosophy science which does not make the success of science a miracle.
	From: Hilary Putnam (works [1980]), quoted by Alexander Bird - Philosophy of Science Ch.4
	A reaction: This was from his earlier work; he became more pragmatist and anti-realist later. Personally I approve of the remark. The philosophy of science must certainly offer an explanation for its success. Truth seems the obvious explanation.

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 4. Anti-realism

22181	Putnam says anti-realism is a bad explanation of accurate predictions [Putnam, by Okasha]
	Full Idea: Putnam's 'no miracle' argument says that being an anti-realist is akin to believing in miracles (because of the accurate predictons). …It is a plausibility argument - an inference to the best explanation.
	From: report of Hilary Putnam (works [1980]) by Samir Okasha - Philosophy of Science: Very Short Intro (2nd ed) 4
	A reaction: [not sure of ref] Putnam later backs off from this argument, but my personal realism rests on best explanation. Does anyone want to prefer an inferior explanation? The objection is that successful theories can turn out to be false. Phlogiston, ether.

8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 13. Tropes / a. Nature of tropes

18431	Internal relations combine some tropes into a nucleus, which bears the non-essential tropes [Simons, by Edwards]
	Full Idea: Simons's 'nuclear' option blends features of the substratum and bundle theories. First we have tropes collected by virtue of their internal relations, forming the essential kernel or nucleus. This nucleus then bears the non-essential tropes.
	From: report of Peter Simons (Particulars in Particular Clothing [1994], p.567) by Douglas Edwards - Properties 3.5
	A reaction: [compression of Edwards's summary] This strikes me as being a remarkably good theory. I am not sure of the ontological status of properties, such that they can (unaided) combine to make part of an object. What binds the non-essentials?

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / f. The Mean

7453	Galen's medicine followed the mean; each illness was balanced by opposite treatment [Galen, by Hacking]
	Full Idea: Galen ran medicine on the principle of the mean; afflictions must be treated by contraries; hot diseases deserve cold medicine and moist illnesses want drying agents. (Paracelsus rebelled, treating through similarity).
	From: report of Galen (On Medical Experience [c.169]) by Ian Hacking - The Emergence of Probability Ch.5
	A reaction: This must be inherited from Aristotle, with the aim of virtue for the body, as Aristotle wanted virtue for the psuché. In some areas Galen is probably right, that natural balance is the aim, as in bodily temperature control.