Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Through the Looking Glass', 'Philosophy of Mathematics' and 'Certain Physical Essays'

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7 ideas

2. Reason / D. Definition / 8. Impredicative Definition

10882	Predicative definitions only refer to entities outside the defined collection [Horsten]
	Full Idea: Definitions are called 'predicative', and are considered sound, if they only refer to entities which exist independently from the defined collection.
	From: Leon Horsten (Philosophy of Mathematics [2007], §2.4)

5. Theory of Logic / J. Model Theory in Logic / 2. Isomorphisms

10884	A theory is 'categorical' if it has just one model up to isomorphism [Horsten]
	Full Idea: If a theory has, up to isomorphism, exactly one model, then it is said to be 'categorical'.
	From: Leon Horsten (Philosophy of Mathematics [2007], §5.2)

6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 2. Proof in Mathematics

10885	Computer proofs don't provide explanations [Horsten]
	Full Idea: Mathematicians are uncomfortable with computerised proofs because a 'good' proof should do more than convince us that a certain statement is true. It should also explain why the statement in question holds.
	From: Leon Horsten (Philosophy of Mathematics [2007], §5.3)

6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 6. Mathematics as Set Theory / a. Mathematics is set theory

10881	The concept of 'ordinal number' is set-theoretic, not arithmetical [Horsten]
	Full Idea: The notion of an ordinal number is a set-theoretic, and hence non-arithmetical, concept.
	From: Leon Horsten (Philosophy of Mathematics [2007], §2.3)

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 3. Being / e. Being and nothing

21982	I only wish I had such eyes as to see Nobody! It's as much as I can do to see real people. [Carroll,L]
	Full Idea: "I see nobody on the road," said Alice. - "I only wish I had such eyes," the King remarked. ..."To be able to see Nobody! ...Why, it's as much as I can do to see real people."
	From: Lewis Carroll (C.Dodgson) (Through the Looking Glass [1886], p.189), quoted by A.W. Moore - The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics 07.7
	A reaction: [Moore quotes this, inevitably, in a chapter on Hegel] This may be a better candidate for the birth of philosophy of language than Frege's Groundwork.

14. Science / D. Explanation / 1. Explanation / b. Aims of explanation

16736	Explanation is generally to deduce it from something better known, which comes in degrees [Boyle]
	Full Idea: Generally speaking, to render a reason of an effect or phenomenon is to deduce it from something else in nature more known than itself, and consequently there may be diverse kinds of degrees of explication of the same thing.
	From: Robert Boyle (Certain Physical Essays [1672], II:21), quoted by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 23.4
	A reaction: There is a picture of a real explanatory structure to nature, from which we pick bits that interest us for entirely pragmatic reasons. Boyle and I are as one on this matter.

14. Science / D. Explanation / 3. Best Explanation / b. Ultimate explanation

16737	The best explanations get down to primary basics, but others go less deep [Boyle]
	Full Idea: Explications be most satisfactory that show how the effect is produced by the more primitive affects of matter (bulk, shape and motion) but are not to be despised that deduce them from more familiar qualities such as heat, weight, fluidity, fermentation.
	From: Robert Boyle (Certain Physical Essays [1672], II:22), quoted by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 23.4
	A reaction: [Compressed, and continued from Idea 16736] So there is a causal structure, and the best explanations go to the bottom of it, but lesser explanations only go half way down. So a very skimpy explanation ('dormative power') is still an explanation.