Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Roots of Reference', 'Sources of Knowledge of Mathematics' and 'Ancient Philosophy: very short introduction'

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6 ideas

1. Philosophy / C. History of Philosophy / 2. Ancient Philosophy / b. Pre-Socratic philosophy

12036	Xenophanes began the concern with knowledge [Annas]
	Full Idea: Xenophanes begins a long concern with knowledge and its grounds.
	From: Julia Annas (Ancient Philosophy: very short introduction [2000], Intro)
	A reaction: Having that on his cv ought to make Xenophanes more famous than he is.

1. Philosophy / C. History of Philosophy / 2. Ancient Philosophy / c. Classical philosophy

12046	Plato was the first philosopher who was concerned to systematize his ideas [Annas]
	Full Idea: In the ancient world Plato was seen as a pivotal figure, the first philosopher who was concerned to systematize his ideas.
	From: Julia Annas (Ancient Philosophy: very short introduction [2000], Ch.6)

6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 6. Logicism / d. Logicism critique

9545	Late in life Frege abandoned logicism, and saw the source of arithmetic as geometrical [Frege, by Chihara]
	Full Idea: Near the end of his life, Frege completely abandoned his logicism, and came to the conclusion that the source of our arithmetical knowledge is what he called 'the Geometrical Source of Knowledge'.
	From: report of Gottlob Frege (Sources of Knowledge of Mathematics [1922]) by Charles Chihara - A Structural Account of Mathematics Intro n3
	A reaction: We have, rather crucially, lost touch with the geometrical origins of arithmetic (such as 'square' numbers), which is good news for the practice of mathematics, but probably a disaster for the philosophy of the subject.

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?

22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / b. Rational ethics

12037	Euripides's Medea is a key case of reason versus the passions [Annas]
	Full Idea: Euripides's Medea has remained a key case for discussion of reason and the passions.
	From: Julia Annas (Ancient Philosophy: very short introduction [2000], Ch.1)

23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / a. Nature of virtue

12040	Virtue is a kind of understanding of moral value [Annas]
	Full Idea: There is a widespread view in ancient ethics that virtue is a kind of understanding of moral value.
	From: Julia Annas (Ancient Philosophy: very short introduction [2000], Ch.3)
	A reaction: In Aristotle's case, this coincides with his apparent view that 'understanding' is the aim of all areas of human thought. See Idea 12038.