23025
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Philosophers should be more inductive, and test results by their conclusions, not their self-evidence [Russell]
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Full Idea:
The progress of philosophy seems to demand that, like science, it should learn to practise induction, to test its premisses by the conclusions to which they lead, and not merely by their apparent self-evidence.
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From:
Bertrand Russell (Explanations in reply to Mr Bradley [1899], nr end)
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A reaction:
[from Twitter] Love this. It is 'one person's modus ponens is another person's modus tollens'. I think all philosophical conclusions, without exception, should be reached by evaluating the final result fully, and not just following a line of argument.
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21918
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Sufficient Reason can't be proved, because all proof presupposes it [Schopenhauer, by Lewis,PB]
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Full Idea:
Schopenhauer said the principle of sufficient reason is not susceptible to proof for the simple reason that it is presupposed in any argument or proof.
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From:
report of Arthur Schopenhauer (Fourfold Root of Princ of Sufficient Reason [1813], §14 p.32-3) by Peter B. Lewis - Schopenhauer 3
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A reaction:
I would have thought it might be disproved by a counterexample, such as the Gödel sentence of his incompleteness proof, or quantum effects which seem to elude causation. Personally I believe the principle, which I see as the first axiom of philosophy.
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21362
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Necessity is physical, logical, mathematical or moral [Schopenhauer, by Janaway]
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Full Idea:
For Schopenauer there are physical necessity, logical necessity, mathematical necessity and moral necessity.
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From:
report of Arthur Schopenhauer (Fourfold Root of Princ of Sufficient Reason [1813]) by Christopher Janaway - Schopenhauer 2 'Fourfold'
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A reaction:
These derive from four modes of explanation, by causes, by grounding in truths or facts, by mathematical reality, and by motives. Not clear why mathematics gets its own necessity. I like metaphysics derived from explanations, though. Necessity makers.
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21361
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For Schopenhauer, material things would not exist without the mind [Schopenhauer, by Janaway]
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Full Idea:
Schopenhauer is not a realist about material things, but an idealist: that is, material things would not exist, for him, without the mind.
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From:
report of Arthur Schopenhauer (Fourfold Root of Princ of Sufficient Reason [1813]) by Christopher Janaway - Schopenhauer 2 'Fourfold'
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A reaction:
Janaway places his views as close to Kant's, but it is not clear that Kant would agree that no mind means no world. Did Schopenhauer believe in the noumenon?
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21917
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The four explanations: objects by causes, concepts by ground, maths by spacetime, ethics by motive [Schopenhauer, by Lewis,PB]
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Full Idea:
There are four forms of explanation, depending on their topic. Causes explain objects. Grounding explains concepts, Points and moments explain mathematics. Motives explain ethics.
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From:
report of Arthur Schopenhauer (Fourfold Root of Princ of Sufficient Reason [1813], §43 p.214) by Peter B. Lewis - Schopenhauer 3
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A reaction:
[My compression of Lewis's summary. I'm particularly pleased with this. I have done Schopenhauer a huge favour, should anyone ever visit this website]. The quirky account of mathematics derives from Kant. I greatly admire this whole idea.
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