Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Evolution of Modern Metaphysics', 'Existentialism: an introduction' and 'Human Freedom and the Self'

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16 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]
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]
16. Persons / F. Free Will / 4. For Free Will
If actions are not caused by other events, and are not causeless, they must be caused by the person [Chisholm]
16. Persons / F. Free Will / 5. Against Free Will
For Hobbes (but not for Kant) a person's actions can be deduced from their desires and beliefs [Chisholm]
If free will miraculously interrupts causation, animals might do that; why would we want to do it? [Frankfurt on Chisholm]
20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 4. Responsibility for Actions
Responsibility seems to conflict with events being either caused or not caused [Chisholm]
Desires may rule us, but are we responsible for our desires? [Chisholm]
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]
26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / b. Causal relata
Causation among objects relates either events or states [Chisholm]
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]