Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Concepts:where cogn.science went wrong', 'Commentary on Euclid's 'Elements'' and 'A Defense of Abortion'

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22 ideas

2. Reason / D. Definition / 13. Against Definition
12619 We have no successful definitions, because they all use indefinable words [Fodor]
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]
12. Knowledge Sources / D. Empiricism / 2. Associationism
12617 Associationism can't explain how truth is preserved [Fodor]
14. Science / D. Explanation / 2. Types of Explanation / g. Causal explanations
13165 Geometrical proofs do not show causes, as when we prove a triangle contains two right angles [Proclus]
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]
18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 1. Abstract Thought
9569 The origin of geometry started in sensation, then moved to calculation, and then to reason [Proclus]
19. Language / C. Assigning Meanings / 2. Semantics
12616 English has no semantic theory, just associations between sentences and thoughts [Fodor]
25. Social Practice / F. Life Issues / 3. Abortion
4059 It can't be murder for a mother to perform an abortion on herself to save her own life [Thomson]
4057 A newly fertilized ovum is no more a person than an acorn is an oak tree [Thomson]
4695 Maybe abortion can be justified despite the foetus having full human rights [Thomson, by Foot]
4696 The foetus is safe in the womb, so abortion initiates its death, with the mother as the agent. [Foot on Thomson]
4060 The right to life does not bestow the right to use someone else's body to support that life [Thomson]
4061 The right to life is not a right not to be killed, but not to be killed unjustly [Thomson]
4058 Is someone's right to life diminished if they were conceived by a rape? [Thomson]
4062 No one is morally required to make huge sacrifices to keep someone else alive for nine months [Thomson]