Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Classical Cosmology (frags)', 'Review of Tait 'Provenance of Pure Reason'' and 'Oldest System Prog. of German Idealism'

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5 ideas

2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 1. On Reason

7083	Highest reason is aesthetic, and truth and good are subordinate to beauty [Hegel]
	Full Idea: I am now convinced that the highest act of reason, which embraces all ideas, is an aesthetic act, and that truth and goodness are brothers only in beauty.
	From: Georg W.F.Hegel (Oldest System Prog. of German Idealism [1796]), quoted by Simon Critchley - Continental Philosophy - V. Short Intro Append
	A reaction: This seems to be the distinctive value framework of the romantic movement and the nineteenth century, where art is destined to replace religion. However, Plato in the Symposium is an interesting ally. Aim for beauty, and the rest follows?

4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 4. Axioms for Sets / j. Axiom of Choice IX

13418	The old problems with the axiom of choice are probably better ascribed to the law of excluded middle [Parsons,C]
	Full Idea: The difficulties historically attributed to the axiom of choice are probably better ascribed to the law of excluded middle.
	From: Charles Parsons (Review of Tait 'Provenance of Pure Reason' [2009], §2)
	A reaction: The law of excluded middle was a target for the intuitionists, so presumably the debate went off in that direction.

6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 8. Finitism

13419	If functions are transfinite objects, finitists can have no conception of them [Parsons,C]
	Full Idea: The finitist may have no conception of function, because functions are transfinite objects.
	From: Charles Parsons (Review of Tait 'Provenance of Pure Reason' [2009], §4)
	A reaction: He is offering a view of Tait's. Above my pay scale, but it sounds like a powerful objection to the finitist view. Maybe there is a finitist account of functions that could be given?

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / e. Ontological commitment problems

13417	If a mathematical structure is rejected from a physical theory, it retains its mathematical status [Parsons,C]
	Full Idea: If experience shows that some aspect of the physical world fails to instantiate a certain mathematical structure, one will modify the theory by sustituting a different structure, while the original structure doesn't lose its status as part of mathematics.
	From: Charles Parsons (Review of Tait 'Provenance of Pure Reason' [2009], §2)
	A reaction: This seems to be a beautifully simple and powerful objection to the Quinean idea that mathematics somehow only gets its authority from physics. It looked like a daft view to begin with, of course.

27. Natural Reality / E. Cosmology / 1. Cosmology

5994	Is the cosmos open or closed, mechanical or teleological, alive or inanimate, and created or eternal? [Robinson,TM, by PG]
	Full Idea: The four major disputes in classical cosmology were whether the cosmos is 'open' or 'closed', whether it is explained mechanistically or teleologically, whether it is alive or mere matter, and whether or not it has a beginning.
	From: report of T.M. Robinson (Classical Cosmology (frags) [1997]) by PG - Db (ideas)
	A reaction: A nice summary. The standard modern view is closed, mechanistic, inanimate and non-eternal. But philosophers can ask deeper questions than physicists, and I say we are entitled to speculate when the evidence runs out.