Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Gettier Problem', 'Sociobiology' and 'works'

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4 ideas

7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 6. Criterion for Existence

3534	To be is to have causal powers [Alexander,S]
	Full Idea: To be is to have causal powers.
	From: Samuel Alexander (works [1927], §4), quoted by Jaegwon Kim - Nonreductivist troubles with ment.causation
	A reaction: This is sometimes called Alexander's Principle. It is first found in Plato, and is popular with physicalists, but there are problem cases... A thing needs to exist in order to have causal powers. To exist is more than to be perceived.

13. Knowledge Criteria / A. Justification Problems / 2. Justification Challenges / b. Gettier problem

19699	A Gettier case is a belief which is true, and its fallible justification involves some luck [Hetherington]
	Full Idea: A Gettier case contains a belief which is true and well justified without being knowledge. Its justificatory support is also fallible, ...and there is considerable luck in how the belief combnes being true with being justified.
	From: Stephen Hetherington (The Gettier Problem [2011], 5)
	A reaction: This makes luck the key factor. 'Luck' is a rather vague concept, and so the sort of luck involved must first be spelled out. Or the varieties of luck that can produce this outcome.

17. Mind and Body / A. Mind-Body Dualism / 6. Epiphenomenalism

3398	Epiphenomenalism makes the mind totally pointless [Alexander,S]
	Full Idea: Epiphenomenalism supposes something to exist in nature which has nothing to do and no purpose to serve.
	From: Samuel Alexander (works [1927]), quoted by Jaegwon Kim - Philosophy of Mind p.129
	A reaction: An objection, but not, I think, a strong one. The fact, for example, that sweat is shiny is the result of good evolutionary reasons, but I cannot think of any purpose which it serves. All events which are purposeful are likely to have side-effects.

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / d. Biological ethics

22187	Genetic behaviours that have enhanced human success include aggression, rape and xenophobia [Wilson,EO, by Okasha]
	Full Idea: Wilson claimed that many human behaviours, including aggression, rape, and xenophobia, had a genetic basis, and were adaptations favoured by natural selection because they enhanced the reproductive success of our ancestors.
	From: report of Edmund O. Wilson (Sociobiology [1975]) by Samir Okasha - Philosophy of Science: Very Short Intro (2nd ed) 7
	A reaction: This led to the Sociobiology Wars, when E.O. Wilson was attacked by Richard Lewontin and Stephen Jay Gould.