Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Ethical Studies', 'Contemporary Political Theory' and 'The Philosophy of Logical Atomism'

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50 ideas

1. Philosophy / E. Nature of Metaphysics / 4. Metaphysics as Science
The business of metaphysics is to describe the world [Russell]
2. Reason / B. Laws of Thought / 6. Ockham's Razor
Reducing entities and premisses makes error less likely [Russell]
3. Truth / B. Truthmakers / 5. What Makes Truths / a. What makes truths
Facts make propositions true or false, and are expressed by whole sentences [Russell]
3. Truth / B. Truthmakers / 8. Making General Truths
Not only atomic truths, but also general and negative truths, have truth-makers [Russell, by Rami]
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 3. Types of Set / c. Unit (Singleton) Sets
Normally a class with only one member is a problem, because the class and the member are identical [Russell]
5. Theory of Logic / A. Overview of Logic / 5. First-Order Logic
Liberal Nationalism says welfare states and democracy needed a shared sense of nationality [Shorten]
5. Theory of Logic / E. Structures of Logic / 1. Logical Form
In a logically perfect language, there will be just one word for every simple object [Russell]
Romulus does not occur in the proposition 'Romulus did not exist' [Russell]
5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / a. Names
You can understand 'author of Waverley', but to understand 'Scott' you must know who it applies to [Russell]
There are a set of criteria for pinning down a logically proper name [Russell, by Sainsbury]
5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / b. Names as descriptive
Treat description using quantifiers, and treat proper names as descriptions [Russell, by McCullogh]
5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / e. Empty names
A name has got to name something or it is not a name [Russell]
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 9. Fictional Mathematics
Numbers are classes of classes, and hence fictions of fictions [Russell]
7. Existence / C. Structure of Existence / 6. Fundamentals / d. Logical atoms
Russell's new logical atomist was of particulars, universals and facts (not platonic propositions) [Russell, by Linsky,B]
Russell's atomic facts are actually compounds, and his true logical atoms are sense data [Russell, by Quine]
Logical atomism aims at logical atoms as the last residue of analysis [Russell]
Once you have enumerated all the atomic facts, there is a further fact that those are all the facts [Russell]
Logical atoms aims to get down to ultimate simples, with their own unique reality [Russell]
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 8. Facts / a. Facts
You can't name all the facts, so they are not real, but are what propositions assert [Russell]
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 8. Facts / b. Types of fact
Russell asserts atomic, existential, negative and general facts [Russell, by Armstrong]
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 9. States of Affairs
Modern trope theory tries, like logical atomism, to reduce things to elementary states [Russell, by Ellis]
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 11. Ontological Commitment / a. Ontological commitment
'Existence' means that a propositional function is sometimes true [Russell]
10. Modality / A. Necessity / 2. Nature of Necessity
Modal terms are properties of propositional functions, not of propositions [Russell]
12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 5. Interpretation
Perception goes straight to the fact, and not through the proposition [Russell]
18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 6. Judgement / b. Error
The theory of error seems to need the existence of the non-existent [Russell]
19. Language / C. Assigning Meanings / 3. Predicates
Russell uses 'propositional function' to refer to both predicates and to attributes [Quine on Russell]
19. Language / D. Propositions / 1. Propositions
Propositions don't name facts, because each fact corresponds to a proposition and its negation [Russell]
19. Language / D. Propositions / 3. Concrete Propositions
In 1918 still believes in nonlinguistic analogues of sentences, but he now calls them 'facts' [Russell, by Quine]
19. Language / D. Propositions / 6. Propositions Critique
An inventory of the world does not need to include propositions [Russell]
I no longer believe in propositions, especially concerning falsehoods [Russell]
I know longer believe in shadowy things like 'that today is Wednesday' when it is actually Tuesday [Russell]
19. Language / F. Communication / 4. Private Language
The names in a logically perfect language would be private, and could not be shared [Russell]
20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 5. Action Dilemmas / c. Omissions
Utilitarians conflate acts and omissions; causing to drown and failing to save are the same [Shorten]
22. Metaethics / C. The Good / 2. Happiness / d. Routes to happiness
Happiness is not satisfaction of desires, but fulfilment of values [Bradley, by Scruton]
24. Political Theory / C. Ruling a State / 1. Social Power
There are eight different ways in which groups of people can be oppressed [Shorten, by PG]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 1. Ideology
Constitutional Patriotism unites around political values (rather than national identity) [Shorten]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / a. Nature of democracy
Democracy is a method of selection, or it involves participation, or it concerns public discussion [Shorten]
Some say democracy is intrinsically valuable, others that it delivers good outcomes [Shorten]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / d. Representative democracy
Representative should be either obedient, or sensible, or typical [Shorten]
There is 'mirror representation' when the institution statistically reflects the population [Shorten]
In a changed situation a Mandated Representative can't keep promises and fight for constituents [Shorten]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / a. Liberalism basics
Liberal citizens have a moral requirement to respect freedom and equality [Shorten]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / b. Liberal individualism
Maybe the rational autonomous liberal individual is merely the result of domination [Shorten]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / c. Liberal equality
Liberal equality concerns rights, and liberal freedom concerns choice of ends [Shorten]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / e. Liberal community
Liberal Nationalism encourages the promotion of nationalistic values [Shorten]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 6. Liberalism / g. Liberalism critique
Liberalism should not make assumptions such as the value of choosing your own life plan [Shorten]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 7. Communitarianism / a. Communitarianism
Liberals treat individuals as mutual strangers, rather than as social beings [Shorten]
24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 14. Nationalism
Liberal Nationalism is more communitarian, and Constitutional Patriotism more cosmopolitan [Shorten]
25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 2. Religion in Society
Religious toleration has been institutionalised by the separation of church and state [Shorten]
28. God / B. Proving God / 2. Proofs of Reason / b. Ontological Proof critique
You can discuss 'God exists', so 'God' is a description, not a name [Russell]