Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'Precis of 'Limits of Abstraction'', 'Vagueness' and 'The Philosophy of History'

expand these ideas     |    start again     |     specify just one area for these texts

10 ideas

2. Reason / D. Definition / 2. Aims of Definition
10528 Definitions concern how we should speak, not how things are [Fine,K]
5. Theory of Logic / E. Structures of Logic / 2. Logical Connectives / a. Logical connectives
21597 Logical connectives have the highest precision, yet are infected by the vagueness of true and false [Russell, by Williamson]
6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 5. Definitions of Number / d. Hume's Principle
10529 If Hume's Principle can define numbers, we needn't worry about its truth [Fine,K]
10530 Hume's Principle is either adequate for number but fails to define properly, or vice versa [Fine,K]
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 10. Vagueness / d. Vagueness as linguistic
9051 Since natural language is not precise it cannot be in the province of logic [Russell, by Keefe/Smith]
9054 Vagueness is only a characteristic of representations, such as language [Russell]
18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 7. Abstracta by Equivalence
10527 An abstraction principle should not 'inflate', producing more abstractions than objects [Fine,K]
22. Metaethics / A. Ethics Foundations / 2. Source of Ethics / e. Human nature
21796 Man is God if he raises himself, by denying his nature and finitude [Hegel]
25. Social Practice / A. Freedoms / 1. Slavery
21783 State slavery is a phase of education, moving towards a full culture [Hegel]
21784 Slavery is unjust, because humanity is essentially free [Hegel]