33 ideas
15873 | Laws of nature are just records of regularities and correlations, with concepts to make recording them easier [Mach, by Harré] |
16185 | Causality indicates which properties are real [Cartwright,N] |
16182 | Two main types of explanation are by causes, or by citing a theoretical framework [Cartwright,N] |
16184 | An explanation is a model that fits a theory and predicts the phenomenological laws [Cartwright,N] |
16171 | The covering law view assumes that each phenomenon has a 'right' explanation [Cartwright,N] |
16167 | Laws get the facts wrong, and explanation rests on improvements and qualifications of laws [Cartwright,N] |
16169 | Laws apply to separate domains, but real explanations apply to intersecting domains [Cartwright,N] |
16176 | Covering-law explanation lets us explain storms by falling barometers [Cartwright,N] |
16177 | I disagree with the covering-law view that there is a law to cover every single case [Cartwright,N] |
16180 | You can't explain one quail's behaviour by just saying that all quails do it [Cartwright,N] |
16183 | In science, best explanations have regularly turned out to be false [Cartwright,N] |
22673 | Wherever there is a small community, the association of the people is natural [Tocqueville] |
22676 | The people are just individuals, and only present themselves as united to foreigners [Tocqueville] |
22679 | Vast empires are bad for well-being and freedom, though they may promote glory [Tocqueville] |
22680 | People would be much happier and freer in small nations [Tocqueville] |
22675 | In American judges rule according to the Constitution, not the law [Tocqueville] |
22677 | A monarchical family is always deeply concerned with the interests of the state [Tocqueville] |
22683 | Despots like to see their own regulations ignored, by themselves and their agents [Tocqueville] |
22669 | Aristocracy is constituted by inherited landed property [Tocqueville] |
22674 | In Europe it is thought that local government is best handled centrally [Tocqueville] |
22678 | An election, and its lead up time, are always a national crisis [Tocqueville] |
22682 | Universal suffrage is no guarantee of wise choices [Tocqueville] |
22670 | Slavery undermines the morals and energy of a society [Tocqueville] |
22681 | The liberty of the press is more valuable for what it prevents than what it promotes [Tocqueville] |
22672 | It is admirable to elevate the humble to the level of the great, but the opposite is depraved [Tocqueville] |
22671 | Equality can only be established by equal rights for all (or no rights for anyone) [Tocqueville] |
16175 | A cause won't increase the effect frequency if other causes keep interfering [Cartwright,N] |
6781 | There are fundamental explanatory laws (false!), and phenomenological laws (regularities) [Cartwright,N, by Bird] |
16166 | Laws of appearances are 'phenomenological'; laws of reality are 'theoretical' [Cartwright,N] |
16179 | Good organisation may not be true, and the truth may not organise very much [Cartwright,N] |
16178 | There are few laws for when one theory meets another [Cartwright,N] |
16170 | To get from facts to equations, we need a prepared descriptions suited to mathematics [Cartwright,N] |
16181 | Simple laws have quite different outcomes when they act in combinations [Cartwright,N] |