Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Leibniz', 'On 'Generation and Corruption'' and 'God in Plato'

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4 ideas

1. Philosophy / C. History of Philosophy / 2. Ancient Philosophy / c. Classical philosophy

23889	Among the Greeks Aristotle is the only philosopher in the modern style [Weil]
	Full Idea: In Greece, Aristotle is perhaps the only philosopher in the modern sense, and he is entirely outside the Greek tradition.
	From: Simone Weil (God in Plato [1942], p.45)
	A reaction: She sees Plato as embodying the true tradition. Everything Aristotle writes is 'peri phusis' (about nature), and that is a standard topic of philosophy right from the start. She emphasises Plato long historical roots. Pythagoras is key.

8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 9. Qualities

16705	Whiteness isn't created in an alteration, because it is just this-being-white [Oresme]
	Full Idea: If it is said that whiteness begins to be through alteration, this does not hold, because whiteness is nothing other than this-being-white.
	From: Nicole Oresme (On 'Generation and Corruption' [1349], I.2), quoted by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 19.3
	A reaction: This innocent-looking remark is dynamite, because it rejects the separability of qualities, which threatens the doctrine of Transubstantiation.

9. Objects / F. Identity among Objects / 7. Indiscernible Objects

7566	The Identity of Indiscernibles is really the same as the verification principle [Jolley]
	Full Idea: Various writers have noted that the Identity of Indiscernibles is really tantamount to the verification principle.
	From: Nicholas Jolley (Leibniz [2005], Ch.3)
	A reaction: Both principles are false, because they are the classic confusion of epistemology and ontology. The fact that you cannot 'discern' a difference between two things doesn't mean that there is no difference. Things beyond verification can still be discussed.

28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / b. Teleological Proof

23892	The only legitimate proof of God by order derives from beauty [Weil]
	Full Idea: The only legitimate proof [of God's existence] from the order of the world is the proof from the beauty of the world.
	From: Simone Weil (God in Plato [1942], p.89)
	A reaction: She finds this proof in Plato. Hume's critique never (I think) mentions beauty, although in the 18thC love of the sublime could play that role. For me, the human experience of beauty doesn't have such cosmic significance.