Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Causal Explanation', 'The Anti-Christ' and 'Precis of 'Limits of Abstraction''

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28 ideas

1. Philosophy / B. History of Ideas / 2. Ancient Thought
All intelligent Romans were Epicureans [Nietzsche]
2. Reason / D. Definition / 2. Aims of Definition
Definitions concern how we should speak, not how things are [Fine,K]
3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 3. Value of Truth
Truth has had to be fought for, and normal life must be sacrificed to achieve it [Nietzsche]
One must never ask whether truth is useful [Nietzsche]
3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 6. Verisimilitude
Verisimilitude has proved hard to analyse, and seems to have several components [Lewis]
6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 5. Definitions of Number / d. Hume's Principle
If Hume's Principle can define numbers, we needn't worry about its truth [Fine,K]
Hume's Principle is either adequate for number but fails to define properly, or vice versa [Fine,K]
8. Modes of Existence / C. Powers and Dispositions / 3. Powers as Derived
A disposition needs a causal basis, a property in a certain causal role. Could the disposition be the property? [Lewis]
10. Modality / B. Possibility / 7. Chance
We can explain a chance event, but can never show why some other outcome did not occur [Lewis]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 1. Explanation / b. Aims of explanation
Does a good explanation produce understanding? That claim is just empty [Lewis]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / e. Lawlike explanations
Science may well pursue generalised explanation, rather than laws [Lewis]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / f. Necessity in explanations
A good explanation is supposed to show that the event had to happen [Lewis]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / g. Causal explanations
Lewis endorses the thesis that all explanation of singular events is causal explanation [Lewis, by Psillos]
To explain an event is to provide some information about its causal history [Lewis]
18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 7. Abstracta by Equivalence
An abstraction principle should not 'inflate', producing more abstractions than objects [Fine,K]
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / b. Rational ethics
Philosophy grasps the limits of human reason, and values are beyond it [Nietzsche]
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / f. Übermensch
Christianity is at war with the higher type of man, and excommunicates his basic instincts [Nietzsche]
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 1. Virtue Theory / d. Virtue theory critique
Virtues must be highly personal; if not, it is merely respect for a concept [Nietzsche]
23. Ethics / D. Deontological Ethics / 1. Deontology
Each person should devise his own virtues and categorical imperative [Nietzsche]
26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 2. Types of cause
Explaining match lighting in general is like explaining one lighting of a match [Lewis]
26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / d. Selecting the cause
Ways of carving causes may be natural, but never 'right' [Lewis]
We only pick 'the' cause for the purposes of some particular enquiry. [Lewis]
26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 9. General Causation / c. Counterfactual causation
Causal dependence is counterfactual dependence between events [Lewis]
28. God / A. Divine Nature / 4. Divine Contradictions
A God who cures us of a head cold at the right moment is a total absurdity [Nietzsche]
29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 4. Christianity / a. Christianity
Christianity is a revolt of things crawling on the ground against elevated things [Nietzsche]
29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 5. Bible
The story in Genesis is the story of God's fear of science [Nietzsche]
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 1. Religious Commitment / e. Fideism
'Faith' means not wanting to know what is true [Nietzsche]
29. Religion / D. Religious Issues / 2. Immortality / a. Immortality
The great lie of immortality destroys rationality and natural instinct [Nietzsche]