Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'works', 'works' and 'Of liberty, Fate and God's grace'

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3 ideas

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 6. Hopes for Philosophy
A well-posed problem is a problem solved [Bergson, by Deleuze/Guattari]
     Full Idea: Bergson said that a well-posed problem was a problem solved
     From: report of Henri Bergson (works [1910]) by G Deleuze / F Guattari - What is Philosophy? 1.3
     A reaction: This is fairly well in tune with the logical positivist style of philosophising, which tends to ask "what exactly is the question?" rather more than it asks "what is the answer?". I thoroughly approve of both of them (e.g. on free will).
9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 7. Essence and Necessity / b. Essence not necessities
The complete concept of an individual includes contingent properties, as well as necessary ones [Leibniz]
     Full Idea: In this complete concept of possible Peter are contained not only essential or necessary things, ..but also existential things, or contingent items included there, because the nature of an individual substance is to have a perfect or complete concept.
     From: Gottfried Leibniz (Of liberty, Fate and God's grace [1690], Grua 311), quoted by Cover,J/O'Leary-Hawthorne,J - Substance and Individuation in Leibniz 3.3.1
     A reaction: Compare Idea 13077, where he seems to say that the complete concept is only necessarily linked to properties which will predict future events - though I suppose that would have to include all of the contingent properties mentioned here.
17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 5. Parallelism
If parallelism is true, how does the mind know about the body? [Crease]
     Full Idea: In parallelism, the idea that we have a body is like an astronaut hearing shouting on the moon, and reasoning that as this is impossible he must be simultaneously imagining shouting AND there is real shouting taking place!
     From: Jason Crease (works [2001]), quoted by PG - Db (ideas)
     A reaction: This seems to capture the absurdity of Leibniz's proposal. I experience what my brain is doing, but not because my brain is doing it. I would never know if God had made a slight error in setting His two 'clocks'; their accuracy is just a pious hope.