Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Power/Knowledge' and 'The Union of Body and Soul'

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3 ideas

13. Knowledge Criteria / E. Relativism / 2. Knowledge as Convention
By nature people are close to one another, but culture drives them apart [Hippias]
     Full Idea: I regard you all as relatives - by nature, not by convention. By nature like is akin to like, but convention is a tyrant over humankind and often constrains people to act contrary to nature.
     From: Hippias (fragments/reports [c.430 BCE]), quoted by Plato - Protagoras 337c8
24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 1. Social Power
Foucault can't accept that power is sometimes decent and benign [Foucault, by Scruton]
     Full Idea: It became impossible for Foucault to accept that power is sometimes decent and benign.
     From: report of Michel Foucault (Power/Knowledge [1980]) by Roger Scruton - Upon Nothing: Swansea lecture p.12
     A reaction: Actually Idea 7425 suggests that Foucault has no dream of eliminating power, but he does seem to be utterly in favour of maximum autonomy, and to regard paternalism as inherently evil. What sort of parent would Foucault have been?
26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 9. General Causation / d. Causal necessity
A true cause must involve a necessary connection between cause and effect [Malebranche]
     Full Idea: A true cause as I understand it is one such that the mind perceives a necessary connection between it and its effects.
     From: Nicolas Malebranche (The Union of Body and Soul [1675], p.116)