Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics', 'Existentialism: an introduction' and 'Introduction to 'Language Truth and Logic''

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17 ideas

1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 1. Nature of Metaphysics
Metaphysics is the most general attempt to make sense of things [Moore,AW]
1. Philosophy / H. Continental Philosophy / 2. Phenomenology
Phenomenologists say all experience is about something and is directed [Aho]
11. Knowledge Aims / C. Knowing Reality / 3. Idealism / b. Transcendental idealism
Appearances are nothing beyond representations, which is transcendental ideality [Moore,AW]
13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 4. Foundationalism / c. Empirical foundations
Basic propositions refer to a single experience, are incorrigible, and conclusively verifiable [Ayer]
14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 2. Aim of Science
Science has to abstract out the subjective attributes of things, focusing on what is objective [Aho]
15. Nature of Minds / A. Nature of Mind / 4. Other Minds / c. Knowing other minds
The argument from analogy fails, so the best account of other minds is behaviouristic [Ayer]
19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 5. Meaning as Verification
A statement is meaningful if observation statements can be deduced from it [Ayer]
Directly verifiable statements must entail at least one new observation statement [Ayer]
The principle of verification is not an empirical hypothesis, but a definition [Ayer]
19. Language / D. Propositions / 1. Propositions
Sentences only express propositions if they are meaningful; otherwise they are 'statements' [Ayer]
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / i. Prescriptivism
Moral approval and disapproval concerns classes of actions, rather than particular actions [Ayer]
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 3. Angst
Anxiety, nausea, guilt and absurdity shake us up, revealing our freedom and limits [Aho]
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 5. Existence-Essence
Our 'existence' is how we create ourselves, unconstrained by any prior 'essence' [Aho]
23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 6. Authentic Self
The self is constituted by its choices made within a social context [Aho]
24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 2. State Legitimacy / c. Social contract
Social contracts and markets have made society seem disconnected and artificial [Aho]
29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 4. Christianity / a. Christianity
Protestantism brought the modern emphasis on inner states of the soul [Aho]
29. Religion / C. Spiritual Disciplines / 3. Buddhism
Four Noble Truths: life is suffering, caused by attachment, it is avoidable, there is a path [Aho]