Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'works', 'The Search After Truth' and 'Why there isn't a ready-made world'

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9 ideas

1. Philosophy / G. Scientific Philosophy / 1. Aims of Science

6782	Realism is the only philosophy of science that doesn't make the success of science a miracle [Putnam]

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]

22181

Putnam says anti-realism is a bad explanation of accurate predictions [Putnam, by Okasha]

8. Modes of Existence / B. Properties / 8. Properties as Modes

16669

Everything that exists is either a being, or some mode of a being [Malebranche]

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]

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 / C. Causation / 9. General Causation / d. Causal necessity

12726

In a true cause we see a necessary connection [Malebranche]