Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Cours d'Analyse', 'The Book of Chuang Tzu' and 'Concepts:where cogn.science went wrong'

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29 ideas

1. Philosophy / A. Wisdom / 1. Nature of Wisdom
7278 Words of wisdom are precise and clear [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 7. Despair over Philosophy
7281 Don't even start, let's just stay put [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
2. Reason / C. Styles of Reason / 1. Dialectic
7282 Disagreement means you do not understand at all [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
2. Reason / C. Styles of Reason / 3. Eristic
7284 If you beat me in argument, does that mean you are right? [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
2. Reason / D. Definition / 13. Against Definition
12619 We have no successful definitions, because they all use indefinable words [Fodor]
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 5. The Infinite / k. Infinitesimals
18085 Values that approach zero, becoming less than any quantity, are 'infinitesimals' [Cauchy]
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 5. The Infinite / l. Limits
18084 When successive variable values approach a fixed value, that is its 'limit' [Cauchy]
7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 2. Types of Existence
12620 If 'exist' is ambiguous in 'chairs and numbers exist', that mirrors the difference between chairs and numbers [Fodor]
8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 6. Dispositions / c. Dispositions as conditional
12613 Empiricists use dispositions reductively, as 'possibility of sensation' or 'possibility of experimental result' [Fodor]
11. Knowledge Aims / A. Knowledge / 1. Knowledge
7289 Do not try to do things, or to master knowledge; just be empty [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 2. Associationism
12617 Associationism can't explain how truth is preserved [Fodor]
13. Knowledge Criteria / D. Scepticism / 5. Dream Scepticism
23403 You know you were dreaming when you wake, but there might then be a greater awakening from that [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
7285 Did Chuang Tzu dream he was a butterfly, or a butterfly dream he was Chuang Tzu? [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
16. Persons / E. Rejecting the Self / 4. Denial of the Self
7277 The perfect man has no self [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
7286 To see with true clarity, your self must be irrelevant [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
18. Thought / C. Content / 2. Ideas
12615 Mental representations are the old 'Ideas', but without images [Fodor]
18. Thought / D. Concepts / 2. Origin of Concepts / c. Nativist concepts
6650 Fodor is now less keen on the innateness of concepts [Fodor, by Lowe]
18. Thought / D. Concepts / 3. Ontology of Concepts / a. Concepts as representations
12618 It is essential to the concept CAT that it be satisfied by cats [Fodor]
18. Thought / D. Concepts / 3. Ontology of Concepts / b. Concepts as abilities
12614 I prefer psychological atomism - that concepts are independent of epistemic capacities [Fodor]
18. Thought / D. Concepts / 4. Structure of Concepts / b. Analysis of concepts
12621 Definable concepts have constituents, which are necessary, individuate them, and demonstrate possession [Fodor]
18. Thought / D. Concepts / 4. Structure of Concepts / d. Concepts as prototypes
12622 Many concepts lack prototypes, and complex prototypes aren't built from simple ones [Fodor]
18. Thought / D. Concepts / 4. Structure of Concepts / f. Theory theory of concepts
12623 The theory theory can't actually tell us what concepts are [Fodor]
19. Language / A. Nature of Meaning / 10. Denial of Meanings
7279 If words can't be defined, they may just be the chirruping of chicks [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
19. Language / C. Assigning Meanings / 2. Semantics
12616 English has no semantic theory, just associations between sentences and thoughts [Fodor]
19. Language / D. Propositions / 4. Mental Propositions
23404 Words are for meaning, and once you have that you can forget the words [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / d. Courage
7283 Great courage is not violent [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
27. Natural Reality / G. Biology / 2. Life
7280 As all life is one, what need is there for words? [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
29. Religion / C. Spiritual Disciplines / 2. Taoism
7288 Go with the flow, and be one with the void of Heaven [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]
7287 Fish forget about each other in the pond and forget each other in the Tao [Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu)]