Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'works', 'Rationality and Goodness' and 'Immortality of the Soul'

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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.

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / d. Virtue theory critique

23692	Good and bad are a matter of actions, not of internal dispositions [Foot]
	Full Idea: Some philosophers insist that dispositions, motives and other 'internal' elements are the primary determinants of moral goodness and badness. I have never been a 'virtue ethicist' is this sense. For me it is what is done that stands in this position.
	From: Philippa Foot (Rationality and Goodness [2004], p.2), quoted by John Hacker-Wright - Philippa Foot's Moral Thought 4 'Virtue'
	A reaction: [She mentions Hursthouse, Slote, Swanton] I'm quite struck by this. Aristotle insists that morality concerns actions. It doesn't seem that a person could be a saint by having wonderful dispositions, but doing nothing. Paraplegics?

29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 4. Christianity / c. Angels

16689	The schools said spirits lack extension, and wonder how many could dance on a needle's point [More,H]
	Full Idea: Many, not without reason, laugh at those ridiculous fancies of the schools, that rashly take away all extensions from spirits, whether souls or angels, and then dispute how many of them booted and spurred may dance on a needle's point at once.
	From: Henry More (Immortality of the Soul [1659], III.2.1), quoted by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 17.3
	A reaction: This famous idea originated with William Chillingworth. More's version is the classic one. Pasnau cites Aquinas Summa 1a 52.3 as discussing the actual question (and says this couldn't happen).