Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Origin of the Work of Art', 'Letters to Mersenne' and 'Fifteen Sermons'

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5 ideas

1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 5. Aims of Philosophy / b. Philosophy as transcendent

15585	Later Heidegger sees philosophy as more like poetry than like science [Heidegger, by Polt]
	Full Idea: In his later work Heidegger came to view philosophy as closer to poetry than to science.
	From: report of Martin Heidegger (The Origin of the Work of Art [1935], p.178) by Richard Polt - Heidegger: an introduction 5 'Signs'

1. Philosophy / G. Scientific Philosophy / 3. Scientism

3653	My Meditations are the complete foundation of my physics [Descartes]
	Full Idea: My six Meditations contain all the foundations of my physics, …and their principles destroy those of Aristotle.
	From: René Descartes (Letters to Mersenne [1640], 1641.01.28)

3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 2. Defining Truth

4736	Truth is such a transcendentally clear notion that it cannot be further defined [Descartes]
	Full Idea: Truth is such a transcendentally clear notion that it cannot be further defined.
	From: René Descartes (Letters to Mersenne [1640], 1642), quoted by Pascal Engel - Truth Intro
	A reaction: This is the view endorsed by Davidson. It is tempting to take basic concepts as axiomatic, but philosophers can't make that move every time they are in trouble. I have to say, though, that truth is a good candidate.

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / c. Ethical intuitionism

8066	Butler exalts conscience, but it may be horribly misleading [Anscombe on Butler]
	Full Idea: Butler exalts conscience, but appears ignorant that a man's conscience may tell him to do the vilest things.
	From: comment on Joseph Butler (Fifteen Sermons [1726]) by G.E.M. Anscombe - Modern Moral Philosophy p.176
	A reaction: That would appear to be the end of conscience. To make conscience work, it must have a huge authority to back it, and also a fairly infallible means of knowing what it truly says, and that an impostor hasn't replaced it (e.g. via a bad upbringing).

29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 2. Immortality / b. Soul

3652	I can't prove the soul is indestructible, only that it is separate from the mortal body [Descartes]
	Full Idea: I don't know how to demonstrate that God cannot annihilate the soul, but only that it is entirely distinct from the body, and consequently that it is not naturally subject to die with it, which is all that is required to establish religion.
	From: René Descartes (Letters to Mersenne [1640], 1640.02.24)