Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Selections from Prison Notebooks', 'What is Cantor's Continuum Problem?' and 'Explanation - Opening Address'

expand these ideas     |    start again     |     specify just one area for these texts

25 ideas

2. Reason / A. Nature of Reason / 6. Coherence
17070 Coherence is consilience, simplicity, analogy, and fitting into a web of belief [Smart]
17072 We need comprehensiveness, as well as self-coherence [Smart]
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 4. Axioms for Sets / a. Axioms for sets
8679 We perceive the objects of set theory, just as we perceive with our senses [Gödel]
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 4. Axioms for Sets / o. Axiom of Constructibility V = L
9942 Gödel proved the classical relative consistency of the axiom V = L [Gödel, by Putnam]
5. Theory of Logic / L. Paradox / 5. Paradoxes in Set Theory / a. Set theory paradoxes
18062 Set-theory paradoxes are no worse than sense deception in physics [Gödel]
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 5. The Infinite / g. Continuum Hypothesis
10868 The Continuum Hypothesis is not inconsistent with the axioms of set theory [Gödel, by Clegg]
13517 If set theory is consistent, we cannot refute or prove the Continuum Hypothesis [Gödel, by Hart,WD]
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 4. Mathematical Empiricism / a. Mathematical empiricism
10271 Basic mathematics is related to abstract elements of our empirical ideas [Gödel]
13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 3. Evidentialism / a. Evidence
17073 I simply reject evidence, if it is totally contrary to my web of belief [Smart]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 1. Explanation / c. Direction of explanation
17077 The height of a flagpole could be fixed by its angle of shadow, but that would be very unusual [Smart]
17078 Universe expansion explains the red shift, but not vice versa [Smart]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / c. Explanations by coherence
17061 Explanation of a fact is fitting it into a system of beliefs [Smart]
17074 Explanations are bad by fitting badly with a web of beliefs, or fitting well into a bad web [Smart]
17076 Deducing from laws is one possible way to achieve a coherent explanation [Smart]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / d. Consilience
17071 An explanation is better if it also explains phenomena from a different field [Smart]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / g. Causal explanations
17062 If scientific explanation is causal, that rules out mathematical explanation [Smart]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / j. Explanations by reduction
17075 Scientific explanation tends to reduce things to the unfamiliar (not the familiar) [Smart]
24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 1. Purpose of a State
20937 The state should produce higher civilisations for all, in tune with the economic apparatus [Gramsci]
24. Political Theory / B. Nature of a State / 2. State Legitimacy / d. General will
20935 Eventually political parties lose touch with the class they represent, which is dangerous [Gramsci]
24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 2. Leaders / a. Autocracy
20936 Caesarism emerges when two forces in society are paralysed in conflict [Gramsci]
24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 2. Leaders / c. Despotism
20941 Totalitarian parties cut their members off from other cultural organisations [Gramsci]
24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 3. Government / a. Government
20939 What is the function of a parliament? Does it even constitute a part of the State structure? [Gramsci]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / g. Liberalism critique
20938 Liberalism's weakness is its powerful rigid bureaucracy [Gramsci]
25. Social Practice / B. Equalities / 2. Political equality
20940 Perfect political equality requires economic equality [Gramsci]
27. Natural Reality / B. Modern Physics / 1. Relativity / b. General relativity
17063 Unlike Newton, Einstein's general theory explains the perihelion of Mercury [Smart]