Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Inessential Aristotle: Powers without Essences' and 'Intro to 'Communitarianism and Individualism''

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13 ideas

8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 1. Powers
Powers give explanations, without being necessary for some class membership [Chakravartty]
9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 5. Essence as Kind
A kind essence is the necessary and sufficient properties for membership of a class [Chakravartty]
9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 15. Against Essentialism
Cluster kinds are explained simply by sharing some properties, not by an 'essence' [Chakravartty]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / g. Causal explanations
Explanation of causal phenomena concerns essential kinds - but also lack of them [Chakravartty]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / a. Liberalism basics
Liberalism is minimal government, or individual rights, or equality [Avineri/De-Shalit]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / g. Liberalism critique
Can individualist theories justify an obligation to fight in a war? [Avineri/De-Shalit]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 7. Communitarianism / a. Communitarianism
Autonomy is better achieved within a community [Avineri/De-Shalit]
Communitarians avoid oppression for the common good, by means of small mediating communities [Avineri/De-Shalit]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 7. Communitarianism / b. Against communitarianism
If our values are given to us by society then we have no grounds to criticise them [Avineri/De-Shalit]
26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 5. Infinite in Nature
Archelaus was the first person to say that the universe is boundless [Archelaus, by Diog. Laertius]
26. Natural Theory / B. Natural Kinds / 4. Source of Kinds
Some kinds, such as electrons, have essences, but 'cluster kinds' do not [Chakravartty]
26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 1. Laws of Nature
Many causal laws do not refer to kinds, but only to properties [Chakravartty]
27. Natural Reality / G. Biology / 3. Evolution
Archelaus said life began in a primeval slime [Archelaus, by Schofield]