Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'reports', 'Goodbye Growing Block' and 'Letters to Antoine Arnauld'

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4 ideas

6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 4. Mathematical Empiricism / c. Against mathematical empiricism
21963 It is possible that an omnipotent God might make one and two fail to equal three [Descartes]
     Full Idea: Since every basic truth depends on God's omnipotence, I would not dare to say that God cannot make it....that one and two should not be three.
     From: René Descartes (Letters to Antoine Arnauld [1645]), quoted by A.W. Moore - The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics 01.3
     A reaction: An unusual view. Most people would say that if Descartes can doubt something that simple, he should also doubt his reasons for believing in God's existence.
10. Modality / A. Necessity / 8. Transcendental Necessity
3016 Even the gods cannot strive against necessity [Pittacus, by Diog. Laertius]
     Full Idea: Even the gods cannot strive against necessity.
     From: report of Pittacus (reports [c.610 BCE]) by Diogenes Laertius - Lives of Eminent Philosophers 01.5.4
27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 1. Nature of Time / f. Eternalism
17960 Eternalism says all times are equally real, and future and past objects and properties are real [Merricks]
     Full Idea: Eternalism says all times are equally real. Objects existing at past times and objects existing at future times are just as real as objects existing at the present. Properties had at past and future times are as much properties as those at the present.
     From: Trenton Merricks (Goodbye Growing Block [2006], 1)
     A reaction: He adds that the present is therefore 'subjective', resulting from one's perspective. Why would eternalists reject their subjective experiences of time, unless they reject all their other subjective experiences as well?
27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 1. Nature of Time / g. Growing block
17961 Growing block has a subjective present and a growing edge - but these could come apart [Merricks, by PG]
     Full Idea: Merricks argues that the growing block view says that we live in the subjective present, and that there is a growing edge of being, but he then suggests that these two could come apart, and it would make no difference, so the growing block is incoherent.
     From: report of Trenton Merricks (Goodbye Growing Block [2006], 4) by PG - Db (ideas)
     A reaction: [I think that is the nub of his argument. I couldn't find a concise summary in his words]