Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Mahaprajnaparamitashastra', 'Explanation: the state of play' and 'Sense and Sensibilia'

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5 ideas

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 10. Vagueness / a. Problem of vagueness

21598	Austin revealed many meanings for 'vague': rough, ambiguous, general, incomplete... [Austin,JL, by Williamson]
	Full Idea: Austin's account brought out the variety of features covered by 'vague' in different contexts: roughness, ambiguity, imprecision, lack of detail, generality, inaccuracy, incompleteness. Even 'vague' is vague.
	From: report of J.L. Austin (Sense and Sensibilia [1962], p.125-8) by Timothy Williamson - Vagueness 3.1
	A reaction: Some of these sound the same. Maybe Austin distinguishes them.

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

12313	Explanation is for curiosity, control, understanding, to make meaningful, or to give authority [Stanford]
	Full Idea: There are a number of reasons why we explain: out of sheer curiosity, to increase our control of a situation, to help understanding by simplifying or making familiar, to confer meaning or significance, and to give scientific authority to some statement.
	From: Michael Stanford (Explanation: the state of play [1991], p.172)

12314	Audience-relative explanation, or metaphysical explanation based on information? [Stanford]
	Full Idea: Rather than an 'interest-relative' notion of explanation (Putnam), it can be informational content which makes an explanation, which is an 'audience-invariant' contraint, which is not pragmatic, but mainly epistemological and also partly metaphysical.
	From: Michael Stanford (Explanation: the state of play [1991], p.172)
	A reaction: [compressed summary of Ruben 1990] Examples given are that Rome burning explains Nero fiddling, even if no one ever says so, and learning that George III had porphyria explains his madness.

14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / j. Explanations by reduction

12315	We can explain by showing constitution, as well as showing causes [Stanford]
	Full Idea: The powerful engine of my car can be explained by an examination of each of its parts, but it is not caused by them. They do not cause the engine; they constitute it.
	From: Michael Stanford (Explanation: the state of play [1991], p.174)
	A reaction: [example from Ruben 1990:221] This could be challenged, since there is clearly a causal connection between the constitution and the whole. We distinguish engine parts which contribute to the power from those which do not.

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / a. Virtues

7903	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').