Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Reply to Fourth Objections', 'Capitalism and Community' and 'The Reality of Numbers'

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7 ideas

3. Truth / B. Truthmakers / 1. For Truthmakers
Truth and falsehood must track what does or doesn't exist [Bigelow]
     Full Idea: If something is true, then it would not be possible for it to be false unless either certain things were to exist which don't, or else certain things had not existed which do.
     From: John Bigelow (The Reality of Numbers [1988], 19)
     A reaction: This is described by Rami as Bigelow's 'famous' formulation of the idea that 'truth supervenes on being' in a general way. An immediate question would be about fictions. Is Malvolio a stupid man, given that he doesn't exist? We must stretch 'exist'.
17. Mind and Body / E. Mind as Physical / 6. Conceptual Dualism
The concept of mind excludes body, and vice versa [Descartes]
     Full Idea: The concept of body includes nothing at all which belongs to the mind, and the concept of mind includes nothing at all which belongs to the body.
     From: René Descartes (Reply to Fourth Objections [1641], 225)
     A reaction: A headache? Hunger? The mistake, I think, is to regard the mind as entirely conscious, thus creating a sharp boundary between two aspects of our lives. As shown by blindsight, I take many of my central mental operations to be pre- or non-conscious.
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 11. Capitalism
Capitalism may actually be the best way to foster community [Conway,D]
     Full Idea: Not only is there no good reason for supposing capitalism inimical to community, but there is reason to think it more conducive to community than the feasible alternatives to it.
     From: David Conway (Capitalism and Community [1996], I)
     A reaction: Conway is defending an obviously unorthodox view, while attacking the hopes of communitarians.
Capitalism is just the market, with optional limited government, and perhaps democracy [Conway,D]
     Full Idea: There are three types of capitalism: 1) the market - private ownership, labor contracts and profit, 2) limited government - the state provides goods the market cannot do, 3) limited government with democracy - with political freedom and elections.
     From: David Conway (Capitalism and Community [1996], II)
     A reaction: [compressed] I would have thought that capitalism is compatible with a fair degree of workplace democracy, which would make a fourth type.
Capitalism prefers representative democracy, which avoids community decision-making [Conway,D]
     Full Idea: By opting for representative rather than direct democracy, capitalism is said to preclude political community, for which the citizens of a state must possess a common will, which needs their direct participation in decisions.
     From: David Conway (Capitalism and Community [1996], V)
     A reaction: Conway does not accept this claim. I'm beginning to wonder whether the famous British electoral system is actually a capitalist conspiracy against the people.
Capitalism breaks up extended families, and must then provide welfare for the lonely people [Conway,D]
     Full Idea: It is said that capitalism encourages the breakup of extended families, which creates the need for extensive state welfare for those indigent members of society who can no longer rely on their own family to take care of them.
     From: David Conway (Capitalism and Community [1996], V)
     A reaction: Conway does not accept this claim. It seems to simplistic to say that capitalism is the sole culprit. Any rise of mechanisation in agriculture would break up rural extended families.
Capitalism is anti-community, by only valuing individuals, and breaking up families [Conway,D]
     Full Idea: Communitarns say capitalism is inimical to family community, because it encourages an individualistic mentality which only values self-fulfilment, and because it demands labour mobility which is disruptive of families.
     From: David Conway (Capitalism and Community [1996], VI)
     A reaction: Chicken-and-egg with the first one. Small entrepreneurs are individualists who seek their own gain. It is big capitalism that sucks in the others. Traditional community is based on labour-intensive agriculture.