Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Truth (frags)', 'Frege on Apriority (with ps)' and 'Fragments on My Philosophical Development'

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4 ideas

6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 2. Geometry
The equivalent algebra model of geometry loses some essential spatial meaning [Burge]
     Full Idea: Geometrical concepts appear to depend in some way on a spatial ability. Although one can translate geometrical propositions into algebraic ones and produce equivalent models, the meaning of the propositions seems to me to be thereby lost.
     From: Tyler Burge (Frege on Apriority (with ps) [2000], 4)
     A reaction: I think this is a widely held view nowadays. Giaquinto has a book on it. A successful model of something can't replace it. Set theory can't replace arithmetic.
6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 4. Axioms for Number / d. Peano arithmetic
Peano arithmetic requires grasping 0 as a primitive number [Burge]
     Full Idea: In the Peano axiomatisation, arithmetic seems primitively to involve the thought that 0 is a number.
     From: Tyler Burge (Frege on Apriority (with ps) [2000], 5)
     A reaction: Burge is pointing this out as a problem for Frege, for whom only the logic is primitive.
12. Knowledge Sources / A. A Priori Knowledge / 1. Nature of the A Priori
Is apriority predicated mainly of truths and proofs, or of human cognition? [Burge]
     Full Idea: Whereas Leibniz and Frege predicate apriority primarily of truths (or more fundamentally, proofs of truths), Kant predicates apriority primarily of cognition and the employment of representations.
     From: Tyler Burge (Frege on Apriority (with ps) [2000], 1)
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / i. Absolute virtues
Egoism is the only evil, love the only good; genuine love produces all the other virtues [Feuerbach]
     Full Idea: There is only one evil - egoism; there is only one good - love. ...Love, but truly! All other virtues will automatically come to you.
     From: Ludwig Feuerbach (Fragments on My Philosophical Development [1839], 1834-6)
     A reaction: This is a rather Christian idea of virtue, coming from the great atheist. Does tough love come from love?