Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'The Value of Science', 'What Metaphors Mean' and 'Why there isn't a ready-made world'

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9 ideas

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 2. Realism

17644

Metaphysical realism is committed to there being one ultimate true theory [Putnam]

7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 4. Anti-realism

17648

It is an illusion to think there could be one good scientific theory of reality [Putnam]

9. Objects / B. Unity of Objects / 3. Unity Problems / c. Statue and clay

17643

Shape is essential relative to 'statue', but not essential relative to 'clay' [Putnam]

12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 4. Sense Data / b. Nature of sense-data

17642

The old view that sense data are independent of mind is quite dotty [Putnam]

19. Language / F. Communication / 6. Interpreting Language / d. Metaphor

7777	We accept a metaphor when we see the sentence is false [Davidson]

7775	Understanding a metaphor is a creative act, with no rules [Davidson]

7776	Metaphors just mean what their words literally mean [Davidson]

26. Natural Theory / C. Causation / 8. Particular Causation / d. Selecting the cause

17645

An alien might think oxygen was the main cause of a forest fire [Putnam]

26. Natural Theory / D. Laws of Nature / 11. Against Laws of Nature

15877

The aim of science is just to create a comprehensive, elegant language to describe brute facts [Poincaré, by Harré]