Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Roots of Reference', 'Pyrrhonian Arguments (frags)' and 'Schopenhauer'

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4 ideas

8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 3. Powers as Derived

14296	Dispositions are physical states of mechanism; when known, these replace the old disposition term [Quine]
	Full Idea: Each disposition, in my view, is a physical state or mechanism. ...In some cases nowadays we understand the physical details and set them forth explicitly in terms of the arrangement and interaction of small bodies. This replaces the old disposition.
	From: Willard Quine (The Roots of Reference [1990], p.11), quoted by Stephen Mumford - Dispositions 01.3
	A reaction: A challenge to the dispositions and powers view of nature, one which rests on the 'categorical' structural properties, rather than the 'hypothetical' dispositions. But can we define a mechanism without mentioning its powers?

11. Knowledge Aims / C. Knowing Reality / 3. Idealism / d. Absolute idealism

21912	Fichte, Schelling and Hegel rejected transcendental idealism [Lewis,PB]
	Full Idea: Fichte, Schelling and Hegel were united in their opposition to Kant's Transcendental Idealism.
	From: Peter B. Lewis (Schopenhauer [2012], 3)
	A reaction: That is, they preferred genuine idealism, to the mere idealist attitude Kant felt that we are forced to adopt.

21911	Fichte, Hegel and Schelling developed versions of Absolute Idealism [Lewis,PB]
	Full Idea: At the University of Jena, Fichte, Hegel and Schelling critically developed aspects of Kant's philosophy, each in his own way, thereby giving rise to the movement known as Absolute Idealism, see reality as universal God-like self-consciousness.
	From: Peter B. Lewis (Schopenhauer [2012], 2)
	A reaction: Is asking how anyone can possibly have believed such a bizarre and ridiculous idea a) uneducated, b) stupid, c) unimaginative, or d) very sensible? It sounds awfully like Spinoza's concept of God. Also Anaxagoras.

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 1. Nature of Ethics / h. Against ethics

6040	There is no universal goal to human life [Aenesidemus, by Photius]
	Full Idea: Aenesidemus does not allow either happiness or pleasure or prudence or any other goal held by anyone on the basis of philosophical doctrine as the goal of life; rather, he says that there just is no such thing as a goal which is recognised by all people.
	From: report of Aenesidemus (Pyrrhonian Arguments (frags) [c.60 BCE], Bk 8) by 'Photius Bibliotheca' - Aenesidimus (frags) 170b
	A reaction: This is probably the dominant modern (post-Darwinian, existentialist) view. Personally I am sympathetic to the Aristotelian view that (to some extent) appropriate goals for life can be inferred from a fairly stable human nature.