Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Mahaprajnaparamitashastra', 'Letters to Remond de Montmort' and 'Second Philosophy'

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6 ideas

5. Theory of Logic / A. Overview of Logic / 7. Second-Order Logic
Henkin semantics is more plausible for plural logic than for second-order logic [Maddy]
     Full Idea: Henkin-style semantics seem to me more plausible for plural logic than for second-order logic.
     From: Penelope Maddy (Second Philosophy [2007], III.8 n1)
     A reaction: Henkin-style semantics are presented by Shapiro as the standard semantics for second-order logic.
10. Modality / C. Sources of Modality / 2. Necessity as Primitive
Some necessary truths are brute, and others derive from final causes [Leibniz]
     Full Idea: There is a difference between truths whose necessity is brute and geometric and those truths which have their source in fitness and final causes.
     From: Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Remond de Montmort [1715], 1715.06.22/G III 645), quoted by Daniel Garber - Leibniz:Body,Substance,Monad 6
     A reaction: The second one is a necessity deriving from God's wisdom. Strictly it could have been otherwise, unlike 'geometrical' necessity, which is utterly fixed.
15. Nature of Minds / B. Features of Minds / 1. Consciousness / c. Parts of consciousness
Our large perceptions and appetites are made up tiny unconscious fragments [Leibniz]
     Full Idea: Our great perceptions and our great appetites of which we are conscious, are composed of innumerable little perceptions and little inclinations of which we cannot be conscious.
     From: Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Remond de Montmort [1715], 1715 §2)
     A reaction: I think this is a wonderfully accurate report of how the mind is, in comparison with the much more simplistic views presented by most philosophers of that era. And so much understanding flows from Leibniz's account.
18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 3. Emotions / c. Role of emotions
Passions reside in confused perceptions [Leibniz]
     Full Idea: The passions of monads reside in their confused perceptions.
     From: Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Remond de Montmort [1715], 1715)
     A reaction: He thinks perceptions come in degrees of confusion, all the way up to God, who alone has fully clear perceptions. He blames in on these confused perceptions.
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / a. Virtues
The six perfections are giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom [Nagarjuna]
     Full Idea: The six perfections are of giving, morality, patience, vigour, meditation, and wisdom.
     From: Nagarjuna (Mahaprajnaparamitashastra [c.120], 88)
     A reaction: What is 'morality', if giving is not part of it? I like patience and vigour being two of the virtues, which immediately implies an Aristotelian mean (which is always what is 'appropriate').
28. God / A. Divine Nature / 2. Divine Nature
God produces possibilities, and thus ideas [Leibniz]
     Full Idea: God is the source of possibilities and consequently of ideas.
     From: Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Remond de Montmort [1715], 1715 §8)
     A reaction: A wonderfully individual conception of the nature of God. He produces the possibilities from which creation is chosen, and ideas and concepts are of everything which is non-contradictory, and thus possible. It all makes lovely sense!