Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Philosophical Explanations', 'works' and 'Of the First Principles of Government'

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5 ideas

11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 4. Belief / c. Aim of beliefs
Maybe knowledge is belief which 'tracks' the truth [Nozick, by Williams,M]
     Full Idea: Nozick suggests that knowledge is just belief which 'tracks the truth' (hence leaving out justification).
     From: report of Robert Nozick (Philosophical Explanations [1981]) by Michael Williams - Problems of Knowledge Ch. 2
13. Knowledge Criteria / C. External Justification / 4. Tracking the Facts
A true belief isn't knowledge if it would be believed even if false. It should 'track the truth' [Nozick, by Dancy,J]
     Full Idea: Nozick says Gettier cases aren't knowledge because the proposition would be believed even if false. Proper justification must be more sensitive to the truth ("track the truth").
     From: report of Robert Nozick (Philosophical Explanations [1981], 3.1) by Jonathan Dancy - Intro to Contemporary Epistemology 3.1
     A reaction: This is a bad idea. I see a genuine tree in my garden and believe it is there, so I know it. That I might have believed it if I was in virtually reality, or observing a mirror, won't alter that.
25. Social Practice / C. Rights / 1. Basis of Rights
There are two kinds of right - to power, and to property [Hume]
     Full Idea: Right is of two kinds: right to power and right to property.
     From: David Hume (Of the First Principles of Government [1750], p.25)
     A reaction: These seem to be positive rights. No mention of the right not be to unjustly abused. It is hard to find any sort of radical political thinking in Hume. His empirical scepticism extends to his politics. He approves of modern consitutional monarchy.
25. Social Practice / C. Rights / 4. Property rights
It is an exaggeration to say that property is the foundation of all government [Hume]
     Full Idea: A noted author has made property the foundation of all government; and most of our political writers seem inclined to follow him in that particular. This is carrying the matter too far.
     From: David Hume (Of the First Principles of Government [1750], p.25)
     A reaction: This obviously refers to John Locke. Locke's idea strikes me as hideous. It says the foundation of government is the right of property owners to protect what they have against non-owners. It implies social exclusion in the constitution.
29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 4. Christianity / d. Heresy
The state should kill blasphemous heretics [Erasmus]
     Full Idea: It is necessary for the preservation of the state to kill heretics that are blasphemous and seditious.
     From: Desiderius Erasmus (works [1506]), quoted by Robert Pasnau - Metaphysical Themes 1274-1671 20.2
     A reaction: He was much more tolerant of heretics who kept quiet.